Earth's Mightiest Hero
by TheWabbajackX
Summary: ((Post Iron Man 3/Thor 2)) Loki returns for revenge but ends up unleashing prehistoric forces on an unsuspecting world. With the combined fury of Loki's army and the MUTOs, the Avengers find themselves overwhelmed and on the losing end. To turn the tables, Earth's mightiest heroes must seek the mightiest hero of them all to help save the Earth. Part 1 of 4.
1. Plans in Motion

Loki sat perched on the stairs, listening to the Other drone on to his master. He was growing anxious, wanting to sweep through the Earth and take it over completely. The Earth fascinated him in a menagerie of ways. Its diverse life and various cultures. If he did not find the humans so savage, he would admire them. They were so weak and feeble in comparison to his divine magnificence. He felt confident that he could enslave the Earth even without the Tesseract. Were it not for the Avengers, his last attempt would have been victorious.

"Come forth," the Other said. Loki rose from his seat and approached the master. He knelt before the throne he sat upon.

"The Tesseract has been located," the Other told him. "It has returned to Earth."

"Thor," Loki scowled. At some point, the Asgardian must have stolen it away from his home and hidden it on the blue planet.

"How have you allowed the Tesseract to slip through your fingers?" the Other chided. "Are you not the ruler?"

"Thor has grown increasingly paranoid," Loki said. "I believe he suspects."

"This puts our plan in jeopardy," the Other said.

"Have faith in me," Loki pleaded. "Double the forces given to me last time. It can be done. I have grown stronger since our last attempt."

"You expect us to try the same plan again?" the Other asked. "You're insane." He quickly turned to meet his master who merely nodded at him. "But-" His master held up his hand. The Other slowly turned to Loki. "Very well. My master has decreed that you shall have your army. But failure, this time, will not be an option." A large grin stretched across Loki's face.

"Oh thank you," he said graciously. "With your aid, the Earth shall be mine and the universe yours. If you will excuse me, I must plan." As Loki made his way down the winding stairs, the Other turned to his master.

"I do not understand," he said. "After his failure last time, you would trust him again?" His master merely grinned.

"He will undoubtedly be beaten, but not before more death and destruction occurs," he said. "When the time comes, I will accompany him to Earth. I wish to test myself against these Avengers."

* * *

The lush tropical jungle of the Philippines stretched on for miles, mostly undisturbed by man and nature. It almost seemed to be a completely other world. A prehistoric relic from millennia passed. Fitting enough, it hid secrets as old as it was.

Back in 1999, a large quarry had collapsed. A few dozen miners were killed when the land gave way. Coincidentally, a nuclear power plant located in the town of Janjira, Japan collapsed. The town was evacuated and then placed under an indefinite quarantine that extends even to this day. The official reason given was that an earthquake occurred, but records of seismic activity for that day were never released to the public. They were supposedly lost in the incident.

Supposedly.

With the Janjira area completely abandoned of all human life save for authorized personnel, research could be done in these areas. Both Janjira and the Philippine quarry were under ownership of a joint Japanese-American military organization known as Monarch. They specialized in studying the effects of nuclear radiation on the Earth and its wildlife. Monarch was considered the little sister of SHIELD. The two did not have much in common. SHIELD was more dedicated to weapon research and espionage, while Monarch was more focused on environmental endeavors. However, the discovery back in 1999 suddenly made them bedfellows.

The quarry's collapse had unearthed something absolutely remarkable to Monarch. Perfectly preserved and intact was an enormous skeleton. It was unlike anything ever seen in the fossil record. It had been left in the quarry for all those years, with Monarch establishing a base around the skeleton. The project leader did not wish for the skeleton to be damaged in any way, seeing as how it was so enormous. Top scientists from both Monarch and SHIELD were brought in, but the results were all the same. There was absolutely no other creature like it in existence. The only universal conclusion they could all come to was that it was some sort of dinosaur. Attached to the skeleton were two fleshy pods, perfectly preserved. They seemed to resemble chrysalises from butterflies, only bulbous and colored like rusty dark red. Research into what these things were continued for years. 2014 had come upon them all, and nothing had been learned on what these things were.

A young British woman was sitting at a desk in a makeshift tent, typing up files to be distributed to Monarch and SHIELD command. She wore blue jeans and had a purple collared shirt with a grey blazer over it. She had two small gold earrings, and her long brown hair was done up in a ponytail. Her messy bangs covered her forehead. A faint thumping reached her ears, the noise steadily growing louder. Her brown eyes darted to the sky and saw a helicopter inbound for their location. It was sleek and colored black. SHIELD standard issue.

"Sensei!" she called, hoping her voice would pick up over the thumping of the propellers. A middle aged Japanese man came running out of the cavern. He wore a black jacket over his buttoned white collared shirt and had the pants to match said jacket. A Monarch ID card was hanging on his neck. A thin beard dotted the edges of his face. He removed his glasses and cleansed them of the dirt that obscured them. The helicopter doors slid open, and two people stepped out. One man and one woman.

The woman wore a tight form fitting black jumpsuit. Sitting on her hips were two holsters with pistols filling them up. On her wrists were some sort of gauntlets. She had green eyes and short wavy red hair. The man had a black bodysuit but had a thick black jacket over his. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. The two of them approached the two scientists.

"Doctor Serizawa?" the woman asked. The Japanese man nodded. "Doctor Graham?"

"Oh," she piped. "Y-yes. That's me. Vivienne Graham."

"I'm Natasha Romanoff," the woman said. "This is my partner, Clint Barton. We've been sent to provide you with escort to Janjira. You're being reassigned."

"Reassigned?" Serizawa asked. "But what about my project here?"

"Nick Fury says he'll take good care of it for you until you get back," Natasha said.

"Where's Agent Coulson?" Vivienne asked. "We usually deal with him in situations like these. This just seems a bit too…. domestic for your lot. Um, no offence."

"He's awaiting you at Janjira," Clint said. "He's a little preoccupied." A puzzled expression found itself on Serizawa's face.

"Preoccupied?" he repeated. "What's happening there?"

"All Nick Fury said was that the MUTO is acting up, and that you would know what that means," Natasha said. Serizawa and Vivienne exchanged worried looks. Clint caught them, and his brow furrowed.

"Very well," Serizawa said. "Vivienne, gather what you absolutely need. We're leaving."

"Yes, Sensei," she said, rushing to her tent. She scrambled to gather as many papers as she could, sliding them into a folder and trying to avoid crumpling any. Vivienne placed the file in a briefcase sitting on the desk, hoping she had everything. She rushed quickly to the chopper. Serizawa helped her up and slid over to give her room. Natasha and Clint climbed into the chopper and slid the doors shut. Kicking up clouds of dust, the black helicopter lifted up from the quarry and turned in the direction of Janjira.

"You guys mind if I ask you some things?" Clint asked.

"Not at all," Serizawa said with a smile. "I enjoy talking about my work. When I can."

"What's this MUTO thing? Fury didn't tell us anything." Vivienne and Serizawa looked at each other. "Classified, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," Serizawa lamented.

"I gotcha," he said. "Can you at least say what you're doing so far out here?" Vivienne's eyes lit up in anticipation. She looked over at Serizawa who nodded with a smile.

"It's the greatest find of the century," she said excitedly. "It's a skeleton. An enormous skeleton unlike anything witnessed before in Earth's history."

"What is it?" Natasha asked, her interest piqued.

"That, we're not entirely sure of," Vivienne admitted. "Although, the general consensus is that it is some sort of dinosaur."

"What makes this dinosaur so special?" Clint asked.

"It's a large carnivorous species," Vivienne explained. "The largest animal ever found."

"How big, exactly?" Natasha asked.

"Well, the longest dinosaur specimen on record was Amphicoelias, which could be from about 130 to 200 feet long," Serizawa stated. "This skeleton is about 247 feet long." Clint let out a huff, impressed with what he heard.

"Exactly how is this connected to this MUTO thing Nick Fury mentioned?" Natasha asked. Serizawa and Vivienne looked down. Clint frowned, the casual manner now replaced with uneasy tension. Natasha turned her head and gazed out the window. She watched as the ocean seemed to pass by them. She was slightly irritated. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was not knowing the situation at hand. A thought then graced her head, causing a small smile to purse her luscious lips. There was somebody who could help her find out.


	2. Independent Research

**Author's Note: The first chapter has been rewritten slightly.**

Stark Tower stood tall in the middle of New York City. Technically, it was no longer "Stark Tower". It had been retooled into Avengers Tower, a base made to accommodate his teammates should the need for them to assemble ever arise. Tony Stark had made personal touches to everyone's quarters and was even working on some matching Avengers patches they could wear. He was the only one in the tower today. Everyone else was out. He was putting the finishing touches on his new Iron Man suit, his best work to date.

"JARVIS, what does today's schedule look like?" he asked.

"Clean slate, sir," his AI companion stated.

"Hmm, we should fix that," Tony said, checking himself out in his reflection in the suit. "You know what Pepper's doing?"

"Besides you, sir?" JARVIS replied. Tony's eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Anyone tell you you're a riot, JARVIS?" he asked.

"Only you, sir."

"You oughta do standup."

"You have to have legs to stand up, sir," was the reply he got. Tony laughed quietly. "Also, agent Natasha Romanoff has returned. She wishes to speak with you."

"Oh, I think I know where this is going," Tony said.

"Do you, sir?" JARVIS asked.

"JARVIS, I'm gonna need you to reduce the snark by about 50 percent."

"I can't do that, sir. You programmed me to always maintain optimum snark levels."

"Good man," Tony said. "Alright, send her up."

"She's already here, sir." The elevator doors slid open, and Natasha walked inside.

"Hello, Mister Stark," she said.

"Please," Tony said. "Just call me "Tony". We're teammates. No need to be so formal. Although, if you have to be, "Lord Stark" would be preferable." He took a sip of water from his glass and sat it back down on the desk. "Where's Barton at? This a solo gig?"

"I'll be returning to him soon," she said. "I just need you to do something for me."

"Headed out so soon?" Tony asked. "You just got here."

"SHIELD's got a mission for me," Natasha said. "That's what I came here for. I want you to do a little research on something for me."

"Research your mission?" he asked.

"Correct," she replied. "SHIELD has been stonewalling me. And I don't like not being in the loop." A smirk slowly crept across Tony's face.

"Oh, this is good," he said. "Fury's star student is being kept in the dark."

"I'm not his "star student". I'm just good at what I do."

"You're the teacher's pet, sweetie," he said.

"Look, can you just do this?" she asked.

"Alright, alright," Tony said, holding up his hands. He sat down and waved his hands through the air, interacting with the holographic UIs. "What am I researching here?"

"What do you know about Monarch?" Natasha asked. Tony looked at her with a bemused look on his face.

"The environment guys?" he asked. "They study how nuclear radiation affects the environment. Spoiler alert: it ends badly. Fury got you playing babysitter to the cleanup guys?"

"And what do you know about Janjira?" she asked.

"It was a small Japanese town with an American made nuclear facility in it," he said. "Earthquake hit the facility in '99. Big nuclear contamination disaster. Been quarantined ever since."

"They've been very secretive about something," she said.

"And this is a surprise to you?" Tony asked.

"I usually keep the secrets," Natasha said. "I came here to ask for your help in researching this. Off the record. I'll find what I can while I'm working there, but I could use an ace."

"Well, most of this is just public knowledge," Tony said. "What's got you so stumped?"

"Nick Fury mentioned a particular word that I haven't been able to turn anything up on," she said. "MUTO."

"JARVIS-"

"Already on it, sir," he replied. "Also, greetings Miss Romanoff. Always wonderful to have you around."

"Thank you, JARVIS," she said. "Keep this in the dark from Fury."

"Don't worry," Tony said. "I won't tattle on you. If I find anything, I'll patch it to you privately."

"Thanks," Natasha said. She looked at her watch. "I've got to get going. Tell Pepper I said "Hello"."

"Will do," Tony said. The SHIELD agent slinked back into the elevator, which shut with a hiss and descended back down. "Alright, JARVIS. What have you got on MUTO?"

"Nothing, sir," was the AI's response. "It's not even a real word."

"So it's some sort of technical jargon," Tony said.

"SHIELD's firewall prevents me from accessing anything in their archives about it."

"Typical Fury," Tony said. "No fun at all. Well, I guess I found what I'm doing today."

* * *

The elevator doors slid open. Pepper Potts walked into Tony's laboratory, her heels clicking on the floor. She saw Tony sitting before a desk with a holographic display at his left. On the wall were dozens of newspaper clippings pinned under the word "MUTO" written in large black lettering.

"Wow, what's all this?" she asked. "Turned into one of those conspiracy nuts?"

"It's a little something Natasha asked me to look into," Tony replied.

"Did she now?" Pepper asked, folding her arms and smiling slightly.

"She says "hi", by the way. SHIELD's got her on some mission with Monarch."

"The Japanese-American military group?" Pepper asked.

"That's why you're my number one assistant," Tony said. "You're always on point. No offence, JARVIS."

"Of course, sir," the AI replied dryly.

"Why does Fury have her working with the glorified Environmental Protection Agency?" Pepper asked. "And what is "MUTO"?"

"Both equally good questions," Tony said. "Also, both of which I don't have answers for. Now I know how Natasha must feel. This sucks."

"Oh, the great Tony Stark out of the loop," Pepper said with a teasing smile. "Doesn't feel too good, does it?"

"So now you're ganging up on me?" Tony joked. "Great. First JARVIS, and now you. I can't catch a break. God, this is gonna drive me insane."

"What have you managed to find out?" Pepper asked.

"Not what I wanted, but I did find many interesting details," Tony said. "Janjira, Japan is where they're working. That's what Natasha told me. The entire town was quarantined because of the enormous contamination from the radiation leakage. The nuclear facility collapsed back in '99, with the official cause being stated by the Japanese government as an earthquake. Interestingly enough, the data on seismic activity that day in the area was never released. It was "lost", according to the government. And now I sound like a conspiracy theorist."

"Well, the newspaper clippings don't help," Pepper said.

"Monarch deals with the environment and radiation," Tony continued. "They study how the environment is affected and then attempt to fix it. There have been absolutely no records released to the public from them or the government about the cleanup progress. Now, why would SHIELD work with Monarch? Doesn't make a lot of sense." Pepper opened her mouth to say something but stopped and contemplated his words.

"You're right," she said. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Boom," Tony said. "Point for me. SHIELD's all about weapons and advanced scientific research. They wouldn't bother with something so small in scale to them."

"So what do you think is the case?" Pepper asked.

"Well, they're definitely keeping secrets," he said. "But what kind?" He stared intently at the word "MUTO" up on the board, as though some revelation would suddenly make itself known to him. "What are you hiding, Fury?"


	3. Pet Project

"Commander on deck," a voice called out. SHIELD agents stood at attention as the chopper descended before them. Doctor Serizawa and Professor Graham were standing alongside Natasha and Clint, waiting on the passengers to exit the vehicle. They had spent the majority of the day filling out paperwork and organizing for supplies to be transported to and from the quarry.

Nick Fury climbed out of the helicopter, his black trenchcoat flowing in the wind from the spinning propellers. A woman with short hair and wearing a tight form fitting blue jumpsuit followed him out.

"At ease," Fury said with a wave of his hand. The agents continued on their ways. "Doctor Serizawa. Doctor Graham. I hope everything here is to your liking. I know it's not the hole in the ground you're used to back in the Philippines, but I hope you're comfortable. You both remember Agent Maria Hill, I hope?" Serizawa bowed respectfully, and Vivienne nodded, which Agent Hill returned. "Where is Agent Coulson?"

"He's up in the main facility," Serizawa stated. "Looking over everything alongside Professor Selvig. We haven't had the chance to head up ourselves."

"Lots of paperwork to fill," Vivienne added. Fury scoffed.

"Bureaucratic nonsense," he said. "But now that I'm here, we can finally figure out why the MUTO's gotten chatty."

"Chatty?" Vivienne asked.

"Coulson will explain," Fury said. "Barton. Romanoff. You two as well. I know you've just been spinning your wheels here and want to know the deal."

"I don't like being kept in the dark," Natasha said.

"I'm well aware," Fury replied. The seven of them made their way inside the facility hidden deep in the ruins of the power plant.

"Interesting choice of camouflage," Clint said, noting the ruins. "A whole city to hide whatever you have out here."

"Extreme but necessary," Agent Hill said.

"My sentiments exactly," Fury said.

"Exactly what is it about this MUTO that's got SHIELD on high alert?" Natasha asked.

"Can't tell you that exactly," Fury said.

"Mostly because we're not entirely sure ourselves," Vivienne said.

"But we can show you it," Fury said. A huge metal door slid open, leading into a large open chamber with an exposed roof. Long cables crossed over the opening like a spider web. Large towers stood tall and high with huge floodlights illuminating the center. A large electric fence surrounded a peculiar object in the center. Clint and Natasha stared up at the object in amazement. It was a large black rocky construct that curled downwards at the top. The underside of it glowed red. "THAT is MUTO."

"What is it?" Natasha asked.

"Can't tell you that, either," Fury said.

"What CAN you tell us?" Clint asked. Fury looked to Vivenne.

"I'll answer what I can," she said.

"Is it alien?" Clint asked. Vivienne looked over to Fury who gave her a calm nod.

"No," she said. "It's native to this planet. A large prehistoric… thing."

"Like that dinosaur skeleton you found?" Natasha asked.

"Yes," Serizawa said.

"We will discuss the nature of the MUTO later," Fury said. "For now, I need the both of you to be on lookout. Barton, climb up one of those towers and keep your arrows primed. Romanoff, I want you to patrol the outer reaches."

"We expecting somebody?" Clint asked.

"Hopefully not," Fury replied. The two agents went their separate ways while Fury led the two scientists to the observation platform where Agent Coulson was waiting. The elevator that took them up opened, revealing a room bathed in red fluorescent lighting. Phil Coulson and Doctor Erik Selvig were in the room.

"Doctor Serizawa," he said, shaking the Japanese man's hand. "It has certainly been a while." He turned to see Vivienne smiling at him. "Hello, Vivienne."

"H-hello, Phillip," she said shyly. Selvig grasped Serizawa's hand and shook it firmly.

"Doctor Serizawa," he said eagerly. "This is TRULY an honor, sir. The research Monarch has produced in environmental science is absolutely remarkable. And Doctor Graham." He shook her hand eagerly as well. "You are such an inspiration. My colleague Jane Foster is an absolute fan of yours."

"Oh," Vivienne said in genuine surprised. "Well, thank you. Tell her that I am honored."

"Not to damper this little parade, but I do believe we have a MUTO to discuss," Fury interrupted.

"Right," Coulson said. "I'll try to debrief you both as simply as possible. Approximately twenty four hours ago, the MUTO suddenly began acting up. We have no idea why. Up until that point, it has provided us with absolutely no problems. Then, it began to give off a seismic reading that began to disrupt our systems."

"You think it's connected to the Tesseract?" Hill asked.

"It might be," Coulson said.

"The Tesseract?" Vivienne asked.

"I assume you're both familiar with it," Fury said. The two nodded.

"I thought that the Avenger Thor had taken it with him back to his home realm," Vivienne said.

"He did," Fury said. "And then brought it back. Thor believes that his father Odin's council has been infiltrated."

"By Loki?" Vivienne asked.

"Might be," Fury said.

"He stole the Tesseract and handed it over to us here at SHIELD," Coulson continued. "We told him we'd take good care of it until this mystery was solved. This MUTO needs to consume a lot of radiation and energy in order to stay alive. Our facilities aren't well equipped enough to compensate for its needs. So I poured as much of our available resources as I could into building a device that would use the Tesseract as a power source. Instant problem solver. However, the Tesseract began having random high energy spikes, and this has gotten our MUTO talking." Fury pulled up a holographic representation of the seismic signal the MUTO made. It was the same pattern over and over. "The MUTO will periodically act up from time to time. It's always the same signal."

"It's a pattern," Serizawa said, noticing the signal shape and the intervals it occurred. "I cannot say for the certain that the MUTO and the Tesseract are connected. I will need to proceed with my research before I can accurately say."

"It may be a while before you can analyze the Tesseract," Coulson said. "Although it does provide a clean, cheap, and renewable energy resource, the device to maintain and limit its power outputs gets worn down quick. It'll need to be replaced before it will be safe to study."

"How long?" Vivienne asked.

"About a week," Coulson said.

* * *

Tony Stark sat at his desk, his head lying back on his chair. All the information he had pulled up on Janjira was starting to rehash itself. He was close to calling it a night but was determined to get one more clue before hitting it. And then he saw it.

An article about Monarch's research into genetic mutations caused by nuclear radiation and their instability. The three names of the scientists involved were ones Stark was very familiar with. Doctor Ishiro Serizawa was Monarch's head researcher and an absolute genius. He seemed a bit of an odd choice for Monarch, considering that his field of specialty was paleontology. Doctor Vivienne Graham was Serizawa's assistant and was one of the most prominent female scientific figures of the modern times. But the name that was the most noticeable was that of his friend, Bruce Banner.

"Hmm," he said to himself.

"An idea, sir?" JARVIS asked.

"Call up Bruce, will you?" he asked.

"Certainly, sir," the AI replied. A dial tone rang out for a minute before a voice spoke.

"Stark?" a voice asked.

"Hey, buddy," Tony said. "Sorry if it's a little late."

"No, it's fine," Bruce said. "Didn't expect to hear from you, honestly. Something up?"

"Actually, yeah," Tony said. "I'm doing some independent research, and I came across a study you did with Monarch."

"Oh, that thing?" Bruce asked. "What's so special about that?"

"Well, what exactly did they do?"

"They studied the genetic changes and radiation putout that occurs when I become…. well, you know. Big, mean, and green."

"Oh, so you'll Hulk out for them but not for me when somebody parks in my spot," Tony said.

"That was for science," Bruce said.

"We could've done something scientific with that car."

"Why are you so interested in Monarch?" Bruce asked. "They don't exactly seem like your style."

"Well, Natasha came by the office today and told me SHIELD had her doing a mission for them."

"Really?" Bruce asked. "That doesn't seem like their style either."

"Not unless they can get something out of it," Tony said.

"What are you getting at?"

"You remember that big earthquake that hit Janjira back in '99, right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Bruce replied. "They evacuated the whole city and quarantined it because of all the fallout."

"Well, Monarch has been stationed there for years, and they haven't produced any sort of research findings," Tony said. "No environmental studies. No cleanup progress. Nothing." Bruce was silent for a minute.

"That's definitely odd," he said. "But what are you saying?"

"I think Monarch is hiding something, and SHIELD is in on it," he said.

"Okay, now you sound like one of those conspiracy nuts, Tony. Next you're gonna tell me you have newspaper clipping all over your wall." Tony slowly glanced over at the wall with all the articles pinned on it.

"Give me some credit, Bruce," he said. "Well, fine, then. Guess I'm the tinfoil hat guy, huh?"

"Well, I will admit that your evidence is hard to ignore. You ever consider just contacting Nick Fury?"

"Bruce, you're a man of science, and you know good and well that was a stupid question to ask," Tony said.

"I'm being facetious, Tony," he said with a laugh. "But I'll tell you what. If it'll make you feel better, I'll do some research of my own. That work?"

"Not sure that you'll find anything that I haven't, but give it a try," Tony said. "Send me anything unusual that you find."

"You mean besides a guy in a robot suit that hangs out with a viking?" Bruce asked.

"Good night, Bruce." The phone clicked, and silence filled the room once more. Tony continued to scan over all that he had gathered before JARVIS interrupted him once more.

"Sir, I found something that may be of interest to you," he said.

"Let's have it," Tony replied. A picture of a middle aged man with a square head was projected in front of him. Pictures of the Janjira ruins appeared beside him.

"This man is Joseph Brody," JARVIS stated. "Member of the Rising Tide. He is a registered physicist that had been employed at the Janjira Power Plan in 1999 when it collapsed. His wife, Sandra Brody, was a casualty of the accident. He has a son, Ford Brody. A lieutenant and EOD Technician in the United States Navy. Married to Elle Brody, registered nurse at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. One son. Sam Brody."

"JARVIS, focus," Tony pleaded.

"Joe Brody was arrested by Japanese police yesterday for attempting to break into the quarantine zone." Tony stared deeply at the picture of Joe Brody.

"Well, that IS interesting," he said. He rose from his chair and went for his suit. "Is he still in custody?"

"Correct, sir," JARVIS said.

"Looks like visiting hours are now, JARVIS," Tony said. "Pay his bail and have his kept until I arrive."

"Going to get hands on, sir?"

"You betcha," he said with a smirk.

* * *

The door rattled open, and Joe led Tony inside. Joe's house looked like every cliched obsessed conspiracy theorist's house was. Magazine and graph clippings pinned onto the wall. Piles of books stacked in the corner. Garbage bags and dirty dishes littering the room.

"Please excuse the mess, Mr. Stark," he said. "I wasn't expecting company." Tony merely chuckled.

"Hey, I've lived like this before," he said. "Not a big surprise."

"Please," Joe said. "Make yourself at home." Tony took a seat on the couch. Joe pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at the billionaire with uncertainty. "Mr. Stark, I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Tony said. "You're not in the loop." Joe looked bewildered.

"Loop?" he asked. "What loop? I'm just a physicist. Or I was."

"Was," Tony said. "That's the key word."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't the first time this has happened," Tony said. Joe didn't respond. "You've been arrested before. For-"

"Breaking into the quarantine zone," Joe said flatly and then sighed. He looked down at the dusty floor in silence. "Does my son know?"

"No," Tony said. "I had this kept a secret."

"Thank God," Joe said with relief. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his son again. "But why, though? What about me has gotten the interest of the Avengers?"

"Not the Avengers," Tony said. "Just me. I'm doing a little private investigation."

"Into what?"

"Janjira." Joe stared at Tony in silence, unsure of what to make of him.

"...Why?"

"A man on the inside told me that SHIELD's involved," he said. "The agent codenamed "Black Widow" told me about something called "MUTO". Now, Black Widow isn't the type of lady to stumble in the dark. She came to me for answers, hoping I'd find something. I think I might have. You."

"Me?" Joe asked.

"I wanted to ask you about what happened that day," Tony said. "Nobody else has any clue, and any attempts to reach out to Monarch for info get me nothing. Same for SHIELD. You're my best bet."

"This MUTO," Joe said. "Could it be a superweapon?"

"Let's hope not," Tony said somberly. "What happened that day?" Joe sighed.

"It was my birthday," he started. "My wife and I, Sandra, had gone to work. There were seismic anomalies emanating from beneath. I sent her down to investigate them. To see if the plant is damaged. There was a hull breach. To prevent contamination, I had to activate the emergency lock. Her team... didn't make it." Tony placed his hand gently on Joe's shoulder.

"I'm sorry to make you relive that," he said calmly. "But it's important that I know everything if I'm to find the truth."

"The truth," Joe repeated. "You don't believe them either, do you?"

"Never accept the official story," Tony said. "Especially when SHIELD's involved."

"You don't think I'm crazy," Joe said.

"Not at all." Joe let out a heavy sigh, like a weight had been lifted off of his back. "What else do you know?" Joe quickly rose from his chair and gathered papers from his desk. They were graph readouts of some kind. He plopped a book on echolocation down beside them.

"Echolocation," he said, looking down at the book.

"Yeah," Tony said. "Bats and whales and stuff." Joe pointed at the fluctuations on the paper.

"These," he said, pointing at them. "Communication. These match the exact same ones from fifteen years ago. Something's talking. Calling out. And I've got it here!"

"So... you think some sort of animal is calling out," Tony said. "And it caused the Janjira plant collapse all those years ago."

"I'm not saying that exactly, but it's not far off..." Tony began to have second thoughts on this.

"Well," he said, rising to his feet. "Thank you, Mr. Brody, but it's time I continue my investigation."

"Wait! No!" Joe said, grabbing Tony's arm. "Don't leave! You've gotta believe me!"

"I didn't say I didn't," Tony said.

"You think I'm crazy," Joe said. "I'm NOT crazy."

"I believe you," Tony said with the utmost sincerity. "But I need more to go off of than what you have." Joe let go of Tony's arm and scratched his head. "The tapes!"

"Tapes?"

"Yes!" Joe said. "Tapes! Dozens of them. At my house in the quarantine zone!"

"Is that what you broke in to get?" Tony asked.

"Exactly. If I can get them, then-"

"Mr. Brody," Tony said, placing his hands on Joe's shoulders. "I need you to calm down. And listen. Listen carefully." Joe nodded. "Let me handle this. Don't go after those tapes."

"I-I can't do that," Joe said, shaking him off. "My wife is still in those ruins. I need to-I can't let this go."

"You have to," Tony pleaded.

"No, I can't! I just-"

"Listen to me, goddammit!" Tony shouted, shaking Joe violently. Joe's breathing got silent. "I'm Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and superhero. You're Joe Brody. A former physicist. You've got nothing. I've got money, power, and technology."

"What are you saying?" Joe asked.

"I'm saying you can't get in too deep," Tony said. "I can't protect you from this happening every time. If you try this again, they might not let you go. Especially when SHIELD's involved and if you've found something. They can't touch me, but they can erase you. They've done it before." Joe looked down at his boots, defeated. "I'm trying to protect you. You deserve the truth, but let me investigate and find this out. This is what I do. I'm an Avenger. I'm not SHIELD. I'm not gonna cover this up. I'm not that guy anymore." Joe nodded slowly, coming to terms with what Tony said. Tony reached into his coat pocket and removed an envelope. "Here's some money. Enough to keep you set for a long time. Go home. To your family. Your son and grandson. Your daughter in law." Joe looked at him with surprise. "I looked them up. Nice people. You deserve to be a part of their lives. I never had that opportunity with my father. Don't lose this. Let this go, and let me handle it." Tony shook his hand and left Joe to his thoughts. The shaken old man stared at the envelope in his hand, completely unaware that Tony had left. There was enough money to buy a plane ticket to San Francisco. To buy a house. He had a chance to make things right.

* * *

**Edit 7/22/14: Added dialogue with Joe Brody.**


	4. Hokmuto

Coulson walked down the dimly lit corridor with Serizawa and Vivienne alongside him. An Asian woman in a SHIELD uniform was escorting them to a utility closet that had been re-purposed to be an interrogation room.

"Found him inside the Q-Zone," she said. "Had a bag full of tapes on him. Repeat offender. Name's Joe Brody. Former employee here." They stopped in front of a glass window where a middle aged man was sitting at a table talking with a Monarch agent.

"We'll take it from here, Agent May," Coulson said. She nodded and left the three to their own work. Serizawa and Vivienne opened the bag of tapes and looked over them with great curiosity.

"What is all this?" Vivienne asked.

"Independent research," Coulson noted. He returned his attention to Joe Brody, looking very agitated.

"Look, I'm tired of talking to you about this," he said. "I want to see Tony Stark. I wanna see him and know what he's found." The SHIELD agent inside looked very confused, as did Coulson. "This guy." Joe pointed at a Monarch agent standing beside the SHIELD one. He was a Japanese gentleman in full body gear. "This guy knows. He knows where he is." Joe spat something in Japanese at him, but the guard didn't respond. "I want my bag and disks. And I wanna talk to somebody in charge." Joe rose from his chair and tapped his finger on the wooden table. The SHIELD agent attempted to say something but was shouted down by Joe. "No, no! Not you! I'm done talking to you! Alright?" He turned his gaze over to the glass window at his right. It was a one way mirror. He couldn't see them, but they could see him. "You're looking at me right now." He pointed at the glass, feeling the eyes on the other side on him. "Like I'm in a fish tank. Right? Well, that's fine, because I know what happened here." Serizawa and Vivienne looked up from the tapes and glanced into the room at Joe, their interest piqued. "You keep telling everybody that this place is a death zone, but it's not! You're lying! Because what's REALLY happening is that you're hiding something out there!" Coulson grew tense. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Do you think he really knows something?" Vivienne whispered.

"Possibly," Coulson said. "He's a member of the Rising Tide. Might've found something."

"MY WIFE DIED HERE!" Joe shouted, interrupting his thoughts. "Something KILLED my wife! AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW! I deserve answers!" Coulson waved the SHIELD and Monarch agents to him.

"Look over those tapes," he said as the two exited the room. Coulson entered the room with Joe and sat down. "Mr. Brody."

"Who are you?" Joe asked.

"Agent Phil Coulson," he said, holding up a badge. "You wanted to talk to somebody in charge? Here I am."

"Where's Tony Stark?" Joe asked. "I know he's involved."

"Mr. Stark and the other Avengers have absolutely nothing to do with what SHIELD and Monarch are researching here," Coulson said. "I'm going to level with you, Mr. Brody. You're right. We ARE hiding something here." Joe looked up at him, his eyes ablaze with energy. "But it's something we can't reveal."

"My wife," Joe said. "My wife died here! I deserve answers!"

"You're not the only one who's lost something, Mr. Brody," Coulson said. "We've all lost something. This whole town was evacuated. People left behind their livelihoods, pets, and personal possessions. Many people died in that accident, Mr. Brody. But there are some secrets that must be kept hidden away."

"You can't hide secrets anymore," Joe said. "Thor, Loki, and those aliens in New York. The whole world knows!"

"That doesn't mean secrets shouldn't exist," Coulson said. "Sometimes, secrets are necessary to protect the people. Because the truth isn't always what we like to hear. Trust me. I know. More than anyone else." Joe sat in silence, unsure of how to proceed. Coulson took advantage of his silence. "How do you know Mr. Stark?"

"The last time I attempted to sneak into the quarantine zone, he bailed me out," Joe said. "He told me he was investigating this. That he found something. Some secret."

"What did you tell him?" Coulson asked.

"What was on the disks," Joe said. "In my bag." Vivienne and Serizawa had fished out several graphs and printouts. Serizawa froze when he saw the graph with the wavelength pattern. The date on the graph read '99. The readout from fifteen years ago was the exact same one on the monitors above.

"My God," he whispered.

"I thought all the data from that day had been lost," Vivienne said.

"We've found it," Serizawa replied. The lights flickered off and on, with the entire facility shaking around them.

"There it is!" Joe shouted wildly. "All those years ago!" Coulson rose from his chair and exited the room.

"Sir, these records!" Vivienne said. "They're the same!" Coulson pointed at the two agents from before.

"Keep that man here!" he shouted. "He might know more! Come on, you two!" Coulson hurried Vivienne and Serizawa along.

* * *

Loki was channeling all the energy he could muster out of his scepter into the rift. His old scepter was in possession of SHIELD, and a replacement was forged to aid in recovering the Tesseract. It took a great deal of resources to forge the replacement, but Loki had his prize. The Other and his master watched the power hungry man manipulate the vortex he was constructing.

"You take too long," the Other said.

"The Tesseract is being secured by something," he said through his teeth, straining to punch through the rift. "Something prevents me from accessing its energy. It's weakening, though."

"It seems the humans have made great strides in their technology since your defeat," the Other said.

"No matter," Loki hissed. "They are still weak feeble minded fools to be conquered. The humans do not suspect us at all. Once we sweep in and steal the Tesseract back, the cycle shall start over. And this time, I will not fail."

"You should hope not," the Other said. "Or the consequences will be severe."

"I wish to see these Avengers in action for myself," his master said. "When you are able to force the rift open, I shall accompany you to the human world. I look forward to doing battle with Earth's mightiest." Loki grinned with anticipation.

"It would be an honor to do battle alongside you. My brother will not be prepared for our combined might."

* * *

The night sky twinkled with the lights of thousands of suns. The void seemed to stretch on for eternity. As Thor drifted through the cool quiet air, he stared up lovingly at the star that was Asgard. But those nostalgic thoughts of home did not last long, soon replaced by those of doubt and paranoia. Maddening whispers slithered in the back of his skull in his dreams and inner thoughts back home. Something had not been right, yet it did not make sense to him. Loki had died a warrior's death and had been redeemed in the eyes of Odin and himself. Despite this, he was still plagued with negativity. There were terrible goings on in the shadows of Asgard, but there was nowhere Thor could turn to.

His immediate worry was for the Tesseract. If there was evil afoot in Asgard, the Tesseract would be a prime target. The mighty hammer wielder stole it away in the dead of night and sent it to Earth, right into the arms of SHIELD. If Nick Fury believed him to be paranoid, he did not question it. Thor had expected this, though. SHIELD would utilize any chance available to get their hands on the Tesseract and any other extraterrestrial technology. Thor had always remained wary of Nick Fury and his motives, but he knew of no one else to turn to. Fury swore up and down that the Tesseract was not being used to create weapons, but Thor held those words in little regard. Yet, oddly enough, Fury had been true to his word. The Asgardian made routine checkups on the facility in Janjira but found nothing incriminating. The Tesseract was being used as a power source for studying and containing this thing called "MUTO". The black and red rock-like construct, although highly unusual to behold, did not look like any weapon he had ever seen.

It was much later than usual for Thor to show up, but he figured SHIELD could do with a surprise inspection. He flew through the dilapidated and abandoned city to reach the Janjira power plant. The faint sound of alarms reached his ears, and faint red flashing lights could be seen from the ruins. The Asgardian rocketed towards the site, sliding to a halt when he hit the ground. SHIELD agents were running all over the place. Alarms were blaring as loudly as possible. Thor made his way to where the Tesseract was being kept, only to find Nick Fury and various others surrounding it. SHIELD agents had their guns pointed at it, anticipating anything that would emerge from it. Coulson, Maria Hill, Professor Selvig, Doctor Serizawa, and Vivienne were gathered around.

"You picked a hell of a time for a checkup," Fury said.

"Thor!" Professor Selvig said enthusiastically. The Asgardian approached him and shook his hand. "Wish your visit was much more pleasant, son."

"Pray tell," Thor said. "What is happening with the Tesseract?"

"It's acting up again," Coulson said.

"Again?" Thor asked.

"The Tesseract seems to be interacting with the MUTO," Agent Hill said. "Power fluctuations are occurring like crazy around here, and the MUTO is getting agitated."

"Agitated?" Thor said. He turned to look at the giant construct, which was flashing red on its underside. "Exactly what is happening?"

"We don't know," Serizawa said.

"We believe that somebody may be interacting with the Tesseract from the other side," Fury said.

"Loki?" Vivienne asked.

"No," Thor said. "Loki is dead. He died a warrior's death."

"Supposedly," Fury said.

"You told me you had it secured," Thor said. "That what happened at your headquarters would not be repeated." To avoid another surprise like the one with Loki back in 2012, SHIELD developed a device that would limit the Tesseract's power. The device was lined with a synthetic vibranium that prevented anything unregulated from being released. It contained any burst of energy, whether it was a random anomaly or purposeful manipulation. However, the synthetic vibranium was imperfect. It wore down incredibly quickly, and the parts had to be replaced routinely.

"The parts are being delivered here as we speak," Fury explained. "All you need to worry about is making sure the shield doesn't fall." The large fixture pulsed red, and a huge shockwave burst from it. A large shield manifested from the Tesseract's energy had it surrounded, and the blast was contained.

"What is that?" Thor asked.

"Electromagnetic pulse," Fury said. "Surprised the hell out of us the first time we started testing. Knocked out all our tech. We were blind out here. The Tesseract allowed us to be able to run our facility better and keep the MUTO's tantrums under control."

"Tantrums?"

"They were occasional, but they were hell to deal with," Fury said. The MUTO fed on nuclear energy. The Janjira power plant had been reconstructed partially to keep the MUTO alive, but it consumed more than was produced. The Tesseract solved this problem. By acting as a renewable energy source, it was able to take care of the MUTO. "But recently, they've picked up. Our machine has had to work overtime, and the parts have needed to be replaced much quicker. And we have very small time windows."

"And the Tesseract has been acting up as well?" Thor asked. He got a nod from Fury. "So that means someone is on the other side, manipulating energy."

"Do you have any idea who could be behind it?" Coulson asked.

"Perhaps the being who provided Loki his army of Chitauri back when we did battle in New York," Thor guessed. "Selvig, exactly what is this MUTO you have been researching?"

"All we know for certain is that it's organic," he said. "And from Earth. As far as what exactly it is, we have no clue." Another EMP blast erupted from the fixture, which was contained by the shield. The Tesseract had an eruption of its own, sending some agents staggering to their feet. Blue sparks began to leap from the cube, eating through the faux-Vibranium. It unleashed another burst, sending countless parts flying. Most of the device had been dissolved from the energy. The Tesseract was now exposed and going wild. The SHIELD agents had their guns pointed in its direction still, willing to fire at the first thing to emerge.

"Where are those parts?" Fury shouted over the radio. "We need them ASAP."

"They're on their way, sir," an agent replied. A heavy metal door slid open, and a truck thrust itself through the opening. Dozens of huge parts were being carried on the back, which were being unloaded. A crew of engineers had climbed out of the truck and were scrambling as fast as they could to gather everything.

"I want that cube secured immediately," Fury shouted. "Double time, people!" A huge shockwave burst from the Tesseract, sending the engineers that were beginning to surround it flying. A beam of energy leapt from the cube and widened into a large swirling portal. Fury, Hill, and Coulson drew their pistols and pointed them at the portal. Thor spun his hammer in his hand rapidly.

"Get back," he warned. Serizawa and Vivienne were escorted behind the wall of agents. The random swirling blue began to clear, and a black void could be seen through it. White dots marked stars that twinkled in the distance. The portal collapsed into a huge shockwave, sending them all staggering. Two figures manifested out of the blue swirling energy. One wore a black trenchcoat with gold trimming over a black bodysuit. He had long black hair that descended down to his shoulders. The other was a much larger brute. He stood as tall as Thor. He had purple skin and glowing blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a blue bodysuit with a gold belt, gauntlets, and a neck collar. They all immediately recognized the former.

"Loki!" Thor bellowed.

"Brother!" Loki replied enthusiastically, his arms outstretched. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I thought you had died," Thor growled. "I told Odin you died a hero's death."

"All part of my plan," he gloated. "And you fell for it, in typical fashion. Although, you certainly had the upper hand on me when you stole the Tesseract. I'll admit I did not anticipate that." He looked at the others at Thor's side. "Agent Coulson?" Phil raised his gun, which received a brief laugh from Loki. "Well, this IS a surprise. I thought I had killed you."

"Fury had an ace up his sleeve," Coulson said. Loki merely smirked.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to burn all the cards this time around." A small spark of lightning shot out from Mjolnir towards Loki.

"That's NOT going to happen," Thor said. The larger purple brute let out a gruff huff.

"So this is the mighty Thor," he said, his baritone voice resonating with bass. "I admit that I am impressed. You definitely have the look of a warrior about you." Thor gripped his hammer tightly, grimacing at the two.

"So I suppose you're the one responsible for supplying Loki with his Chitauri two years ago," he huffed.

"You would be correct," was his reply.

"Who are you?" Thor asked. The large brute cracked his knuckles and neck in sync.

"I am Thanos," he stated. "And I have come here to do battle with these Avengers I have been told of." He looked at the others surrounding them. "I severely hope these are not they." Loki had slunk behind Thanos towards the Tesseract.

"We're SHIELD," Fury said. "And you're trespassing." Thanos let out a brief chuckle.

"Heh," he said. "Yes, I have been told of you. As much as it will be to slaughter you weak humans, my real quarrel is with the Avengers."

"If it's a fight you want, you shall receive one," Thor said.

"Excellent," Thanos growled. "EXCELLENT!" The sound of crackling energy interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Loki attempting to remove the Tesseract. "Not yet. I wish to fight first."

"I am not here to entertain your flights of fancy," Loki spat, pulling at the cube. "Let us retrieve the Tesseract and continue with our plan." Thanos locked his jaw in frustration.

"You would do well to watch your tone with-"

"NO!" a voice shouted. Serizawa burst from the crowd and ran towards Loki. Thanos watched the small Japanese man approach the Jotun. "Do not remove it!" Loki was stupefied.

"You are quite bold to order me," he said, turning to face the Japanese man. "What will you do to stop me? You cannot protect it." Loki's head was dead center in the crosshairs. High in his tower, Barton had his eye trained on him.

"I'm trying to protect you from IT," Serizawa stated. Loki let out an amused laugh, turning back towards the Tesseract.

"I have no need to fear the Tesseract," he gloated.

"I wasn't talking about the Tesseract," Serizawa said. Loki's expression turned to one of intrigue. He turned back towards the scientist.

"And what, pray tell, did you mean?" Serizawa pointed to the large black construct in the center of the facility. Thanos and Loki stared at it in wonder. "Another new toy for the humans, huh? Well, then. Let's see how it fares when I wean it." The Jotun, with incredible force, ripped the Tesseract from what was left of the device.

"You fool!" Serizawa shouted. All the lights in the facility faded, cloaking the base in darkness. A few seconds later, the emergency generator re-illuminated the area. A loud thumping sound echoed from the construct. The red underside began to flash faster and faster until a wave of energy burst forth. The facility darkened as quickly as it had lightened. Natasha was knocked to the ground by the force of the blast.

"Barton, how are thing on your end?" she asked into the radio. The silence she received unnerved her. "Clint?" Still no answer. She switched to another channel. "Fury, Barton isn't responding." Natasha got the same response from him. "Fury, please respond."

Clint looked at his bow in confusion. The red readout on his scope just disappeared. He reprimed it, but it didn't come back on. The selector and transmitter weren't working either. "Natasha, something's wrong with my bow. That blast did something to it." He frowned when he didn't receive an answer right away. "Natasha, did you hear me?" Silence. Barton felt the ground shake and grabbed onto the guard rail for balance. The ground beneath all their feet rumbled.

"Agents Barton and Romanoff, can you give me a sitrep on the MUTO?" Agent Hill asked. "Agents?" The radio was dead silent.

"EMP blast," Nick Fury said. "We're blind out here." Loki smiled nefariously.

"Oh, did I do that?" he asked, feigning innocence. The ground rumbled once more, much more violently this time. He held the Tesseract in his hands, rubbing his fingers along the surface. It tingled to the touch. Loki stared into the deep glowing blue of the cube, mesmerized by it. His thoughts were soon taken from him by a noise unlike anything he had ever heard before.

It was a low chirping sound with deep bass filled clicks. It almost sounded like a bird but nothing like anything any of them knew of.

"_Vrrrrr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr…"_

Serizawa slowly turned back towards the black and red fixture at the center. It came from the construct.

From inside.

"Oh God," he whispered. Loki peered at it with an inquisitive look on his face. The ground rumbled again, even more violently than before. It was quickly followed by a huge explosion from the rocky fixture. Dust dashed through the air, and huge chunks of rock hurtled everywhere.

"Jesus!" Clint said, hanging on to the guard rail as best as he could. The SHIELD agents aimed their guns at the rocky fixture. That eerie call echoed out from the enormous hole in the fixture. A tall silhouette could barely be made out through the clouds of dust. Loud resounding thuds rang out through the darkened facility. Above all the dust, Clint could see something emerging from the construct. "What the hell…"

It was an incredibly tall and lanky creature, its full body free from the fixture. Two long arms that curved at the tips touched down onto the metal ground. The back of them glowed red. Its back legs were muscular and had reptilian-like toes on its feet. A scrawny pair of arms with gangly hands at the end hung from the creature's torso. A huge pair of wings hung down its back like a cape. It had a triangular head with sharp pointed mandibles. Two long glowing red lines going along the side of its head. They seemed to act as its eyes. The creature tore the fence that surrounded it down, peering through the dust at the base around it.

"Impressive," Thanos muttered. The creature let out a warbled screech, stretching its wings out. It had an impressive wingspan to match its already impressive size. An idea came to Loki. He walked past Thanos and towards the creature. It peered down at him.

"Listen well, creature," he shouted, holding the Tesseract in his hand towards it. "I am Loki of Asgard. You shall obey me through the power of the Tesseract." He clutched it firmly in his hand, feeling the energy channeling within it. "You will obey me! Obey. Obey!" The creature hissed at him. "Obey me! I hold the Tesseract. Your will is mine! OBEY!" It let out an irritated screech. The creature raised its walking forelimb back and swung it right into Loki's side. The Jotun flew through the air and crashed into the metal wall with intense force. The Tesseract clattered to the floor in front of the creature, lost from Loki's grip.

"Fire!" Fury shouted. "Fire at the MUTO!" SHIELD forces began to pepper the MUTO with a barrage of bullets. The feeling of the bullets pinching its skin annoyed it greatly. It felt pinching in its left shoulder. The MUTO turned to see two arrows sticking out of it. It snapped them in half and spat them out, looking up at the tiny human in the tower. The MUTO raised its forelimbs and slammed them into the tower, trying to pull it down. The tower doubled over, threatening to topple over. Clint was hanging onto the guard rail over the MUTO, who peered up at him snarling.

"Clint!" Natasha shouted. Quick as a flash, she withdrew a flare gun tucked in her boot and fired into the air. The bright red flash caught the attention of the MUTO, who completely forgot about Clint. The flare hit the ground and fizzled. The MUTO lowered its head to meet the glowing flare, sniffing it. Clint's was holding his bow with one hand, and the other hand gripping the rail was weakening. His strength was ebbing away. He suddenly felt himself swept up by someone. Thor had him and placed him gently onto the ground.

"Thanks for the save, big guy," he said. Thor nodded at him but was then knocked to the ground by Thanos. He had leapt upon him, giving in to his desire to do battle.

"A fitting time for battle, don't you think?" he asked.

"Don't be a fool!" Thor grunted, pushing Thanos off of him. The tower Clint had been hanging on was knocked over, as the MUTO was approaching them. Thanos turned to face the creature, standing alongside Thor.

"It's to be a three way battle, then," he mused. "Excellent." With that, Thanos leapt towards the MUTO and delivered a powerful punch to its forehead. The creature screeched with pain and swatted at him, sending him crashing into the ground. The MUTO slammed its forelimb into Thanos repeatedly. Spinning his hammer, Thor rocketed for its head. He made direct contact with its cheek at breakneck speeds, sending the MUTO staggering. It shook its head and hissed at the mighty Asgardian. In retaliation, the MUTO swiped at him. The blow was more powerful than Thor had anticipated and sent him crashing straight through a wall.

The thumping of helicopter propellers turned the MUTO's attention to the sky. The attack choppers began to open fire on the creature. It began to climb the side of the facility, snapping the cables that covered the opening in the roof. They swung through the air towards the ground, making loud twangs.

"Everybody out!" Fury ordered. The staff was now fleeing the facility in droves, trying to escape the collapsing building. The MUTO had cut down enough of the cables to be able to get to the choppers. It leapt into the air and swung at the two of them. They exploded from the force of the swipes. The MUTO landed back onto the ground with a booming thud. It let out a victorious snarl. The blue glow of the Tesseract caught its attention. The MUTO stared at it curiously. Thor rose to his feet, battered and bruised, to witness the MUTO grasp the Tesseract with its small hands. It climbed through the opening in the roof and flapped its wings, causing enormous gusts of wind to kick up. It started gliding through the air out towards the sea.

"You will not escape so easily!" Thor shouted. The Asgardian leapt through the air, flying after the MUTO like a fighter jet. Thor had to struggle to keep up with the creature. Mjolnir crackled in his fist with electrical fury. Storm clouds began to manifest themselves around the two, darkening the skies further. The MUTO looked around, confused as to where the clouds had emerged from. Thor pointed Mjolnir at it, and a bolt of lightning speared the giant beast. The MUTO cried out in pain but still remained airborne. It folded its wings slightly and dove for the ocean below them. Thor flew after it, hot on its heels. The MUTO extended its wings and flew upwards at an angle towards the clouds. An enormous field of clouds stretched through the skies, making it nearly impossible to see. Thor burst through the clouds at an incredible speed, hot on the trail of the MUTO. He passed through a rather dark and thick cloud only to find himself in an isolated clearing. Thor looked all around him but did not spot the creature. Despite his best efforts, it had given him the slip in a brief second. Enraged, he lifted Mjolnir, causing the clouds to light up as bright as the sun with lightning. His arm fell to his side, Mjolnir just hanging there. The Asgardian was breathing heavily, infuriated at the prospect of losing the Tesseract. A loud cry interrupted his thoughts. He looked up above and saw the MUTO divebombing right towards him. It slammed into him with incredible force, sending him plummeting into the ocean. Mjolnir was knocked from his grip and hit the water with a loud splash, which was followed by the sound of Thor hitting the water. The MUTO flapped its wings and lifted itself above the clouds Thor had conjured. The creature flew over the never ending mass of water, determined to fly as far as its wings would allow it to.

* * *

Tony was sitting in his workshop, looking over some design modifications he was planning for the tower. He had taken a break from the mystery surrounding Janjira, having felt defeated by not making any new headway with it. The tower had been empty, save for him, all day. He wondered what everyone else was up to.

"JARVIS, pull up the map, please," he said.

"Certainly, sir," the AI replied. A holographic projection of the Earth popped up before him. Tony had designed personal Avengers communicators for all of them, in the event that a situation like what happened in New York ever occurred again. He had markers for himself, Bruce, and Steve. He furrowed his brow when he only saw three of the six.

"JARVIS, where's Thor?" he asked.

"Unknown, sir," was the reply.

"Maybe he took a trip back to Asgard." Tony took a sip of water. "Now, where are Barton and Natasha?"

"Also unknown, sir," JARVIS said. Tony scratched his head in confusion.

"Can I get a last known location for everybody?" he asked. Three markers appeared on the radar for Thor, Natasha, and Clint. All converged on one location.

"Janjira, Japan," JARVIS stated. Tony's face froze as he stared at the map with great intensity.

"Why would Thor be there?" he asked himself.

"Unknown, sir," JARVIS said.

"Well, that was more for me, but yeah," Tony said.

"Sir, Doctor Banner in on the line for you." Tony checked his cell phone and saw Bruce on the ID. He tapped a button and held it to his ear.

"Talk to me," he said.

"Have you checked the news?" Bruce asked. "You might find something about your case."

"JARVIS."

"On it, sir." Another holographic display popped up before him. A male newscaster in his mid forties was on camera.

"I'm Steve Martin, and our top story tonight comes out of Japan," he said. "An enormous power outage has plagued the city of Janjira, Japan, with the Japanese government claiming that an earthquake was responsible. Seismologists have reported it to have registered a 6.3, but activity has mostly been limited to the quarantined section of the city."

"Son of a bitch," Tony said. "Bruce, I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Did you find something?" he asked.

"I think I did," he replied. "Listen, I think Thor, Clint, and Natasha might be in trouble."

"What?" Bruce asked. "Tony, what's happening?"

"I'm not sure myself, but I want you to contact Steve and tell him to be on standby."

"Tony, I don't understand-"

"Just do this for me," he said. He heard a sigh from Banner's end.

"Alright," Bruce said. "If you need backup from Steve or... the big green guy, don't hesitate to call."

"If I'm wrong, then I hopefully won't need any," Tony said.

"Whatever you're planning, just be careful," Bruce warned.

"I'll try my best," Tony said, hanging up. "JARVIS, suit up." He made his way to the balcony.

"Suit primed and ready, sir," he replied. The latest Iron Man suit variant was on full display, with the red and gold shining in the light from the stars. "Shall I leave a note for Miss Potts telling her you'll be out?" Tony climbed into the suit, all the parts clicking into place.

"May as well," he said. The HUD came on display inside the helmet. "Mark Janjira on the map." A holographic projection of the Earth came up, and a marker was pinned on Janjira. The thrusters in the boots kicked on, and Tony torpedoed his way towards Japan.

* * *

**Edit 7/22/14: Added dialogue with Joe Brody**


	5. Janjira Aftermath

The sun had peaked up over the horizon, warming up the land with its presence in the sky. The sight was tranquil and beautiful to behold, yet no one was around to witness the poetry of nature. The quarantined section of Janjira was as empty as it had been for years. An enormous and sprawling section of the city, devoid of any and all activity. Ivy had taken root on many of the buildings. Dust had swept through the unkempt streets and dilapidated houses. It was an eerie sight, seeing a large metropolis so empty. Wild dogs and deer would occasionally wander through but never stuck around for long. Nature was slowly reclaiming these lands, but the local fauna still kept their distance. Perhaps they were haunted by the ghosts of humanity. A crane was foot deep in a small pond, peering down into the murky waters. Its sharp eyes searched for any potential movement within. A whooshing sound overhead diverted its attention. The crane gazed up at a red and gold metallic humanoid flying through the air at incredible speeds.

Tony flew through the quarantine zone and took in the sight of the abandoned city. It was much different than anything he was used to.

"Jesus," he muttered to himself. "I bet some of these people didn't even have time to pack." Kids forced to leave toys behind. Parents having to leave behind old family photos. Hard working men and women abandoning their livelihoods, their homes, their cars and pets. Everything they had worked to achieve for all their lives. Tony shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. "Dammit." He glanced through the HUD on the inside of his helmet, looking for the Geiger counter. The quarantine zone was highly radioactive due to the massive amount of fallout from the nuclear facility. There was not even a click on it. "JARVIS, refresh the Geiger counter." It blinked off and then came back into view. Nothing had changed.

"Still reading zero, sir," JARVIS stated.

"And you're sure it's not an error on your end?" Tony asked. "I mean, don't be ashamed to admit it. It happens. Performance issues…"

"It was you who programmed me, sir," JARVIS stated.

"Right answer," he said. "So that means that either Monarch is really good at their job, or there was no radiation leak."

"Sir, I'm detecting airborne signals across the water," JARVIS said. "To your left." Tony swung around a caved in tower and spotted helicopters circling what was left of the nuclear power plant. He began to fly over towards the plant, ready to find out answers.

"Director Fury!" Maria Hill said, pointing at an object that was quickly approaching them. She spoke into her radio. "Unknown bogey."

"At ease, Agent Hill," Fury said. "It's Stark." The red and gold metallic suit landed before them with a thud. The faceplate folded back, revealing Tony Stark's all too familiar face.

"Sorry to pop in unannounced," Tony said. "Didn't get an invitation."

"Come on, big guy," a voice said. Tony turned around to see Thor leaning on Phil Coulson as the two of them walked towards the group. Thor slumped down and leaned against a crushed car.

"Thank you," he huffed. Phil stretched his back muscles, feeling tense from helping the Asgardian back. Tony walked over to Thor and leaned down towards him. "Stark. Nice to see you."

"I'm sure it is, pal," Tony said. Thor cracked his sore neck. "You look in rough shape."

"I feel worse than I look," Thor said with a groan.

"What the hell happened?" Tony asked.

"Loki happened," he growled. Tony looked confused.

"I thought you said he died fighting."

"More of his tricks," Thor sighed. He stretched his back, trying to rid the feeling of stiffness that plagued his body. "And he has brought an ally. A being that calls himself "Thanos". He gave Loki his Chitauri."

"That's bad," Tony said. "So he's planning a repeat performance of last time, then?"

"I'm not sure," Thor said, holding his side in pain. "As of right now, he is not my primary concern." Tony looked at him in shock.

"There's a twist," he said. "What's a bigger concern than Loki?"

"This MUTO." Tony grew tense. "You know of it?"

"I came across it when I was doing research," he half lied.

"Thor," a female voice called. Tony looked over his shoulder to see Natasha walking towards them with Clint in tow. "Stark."

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Tony said dryly. Natasha ignored him.

"We found no sign of Loki," she said.

"Or Thanos," Clint added. Thor punched the dirt in frustration.

"Damn," he said, sighing. As much as he wanted to bring Loki to justice, he was a little relieved to not have found his body. "And the Tesseract?" Tony whipped his head to look back at Thor.

"Tesseract?" he asked.

"We've got the whole crew the Helicarrier searching for it," Agent Hill said. "We're bringing in Doctor Banner for assistance."

"Why is the Tesseract here?" Tony asked. "I thought you had it locked away back on Asgard."

"I did," Thor said. "I was plagued by horrible visions and nightmares. Whisperings of evil doings in Asgard. I worried for the safety of my home and Midgard, so I stole the Tesseract in the dead of night and entrusted it to SHIELD. Who I had hoped could keep it safe."

"And who has it now?" Tony asked.

"The MUTO," Fury stated. Now, Tony was really confused.

"What the hell is "the MUTO", and what does it want with the Tesseract?" he asked.

"The Tesseract is a source of radiation, even if at small levels, and the MUTO feeds on radiation," Natasha explained.

"Perhaps it wanted some for the road," Clint said.

"I still have no clue what this "MUTO" is," Tony said, with obvious irritation.

"Yeah, get in line," Clint said.

"You'll all be debriefed soon," a voice said. They all turned to see an older man with gray hair in a blue military uniform. Standing beside him was an African American man with a bald head. He wore a similar uniform. "Rear Admiral William Stenz. This is Captain Russell Hampton. United States Navy."

"This must be pretty serious for the boys in blue to get involved," Tony said.

"More than you know, Mr. Stark," Admiral Stenz stated. "This MUTO is the single greatest threat to this planet right now. Even greater than this Loki and Thanos. Monarch will debrief you on the nature of this MUTO when you've all been assembled."

"We'll be collaborating with the United States military to help secure the MUTO and the Tesseract," Fury said.

"Huh," Tony said. "SHIELD playing nice with others. I'd never thought I'd see that."

"Whether you believe it or not, Mr. Stark, SHIELD is willing to play fastball with others if the world is at stake," Fury said. "Whatever it takes."

"Mr. Stark, I've taken the liberty of having one of our own assigned to your squad," Admiral Stenz said.

"Another soldier?" Tony asked. "Can he keep up with the Cap?"

"I believe so," Admiral Stenz replied. "You're already quite familiar with him." The sound of rockets resonated through the air. "Here he is now." A metallic figure descended from the sky and landed before them. The figure was a suit of armor nearly identical to Tony Stark's. The chestplate was blue with a white star at the center. Blue lined the boots and shoulders. Red and white trim were around the knees, abs, forearms, and hands. A large ballistic cannon was mounted on the upper back. The faceplate folded back to reveal the face of an African American male.

"Rhodey?" Tony asked. Standing before them was none other than Colonel James Rhodes, better known as the Iron Patriot. He stood at attention and saluted Admiral Stenz and Captain Hampton, who promptly saluted him back. Rhodey turned around and shook Tony's hand, bringing him in for a hug.

"It's been a while, Tony," he said, smiling. "Wish we could've met under better circumstances, though."

"No kidding, pal," Tony said. "But it's good to see you. I didn't know you were working with the navy now."

"The commander-in-chief appointed me personally to this," Rhodey said. "With strong recommendations from Admiral Stenz and Captain Hampton." A voice came over the radio.

"Sir, the other Avengers have arrived," it said.

"Roger that," Fury responded. "Let's take this on the road." Tony followed the others before turning his attention to various bodies strapped into stretchers and being placed into the backs of ambulances. One body in particular stole his attention completely.

"Wait!" he shouted and ran towards the paramedics loading the body. "Who is that?"

"That's Joe Brody," Coulson said, walking up behind Tony. "I believe you're familiar with him."

"No vital signs detected, sir," JARVIS stated, displaying Joe's heart rate as flatlining.

"What was he doing here?" Tony asked.

"He snuck in again," Coulson said. "He was killed trying to escape the MUTO." Tony looked down at the bloodied head of the old man.

"He had a son," Tony said softly. In his anger, he punched the back door of the ambulance, leaving a sizable dent in it. "Why didn't you just go home like I told you to? Dammit!" Tony rested his head on his hand, distraught at what happened to Joe.

"Some people can't leave the truth behind, Stark," Coulson said somberly. "Even if it's better for them."

* * *

The rocks smashed into dozens of tiny pieces. Loki was lying on the ground amongst the dirt, his body in pain.

"You fool!" Thanos shouted. "You've set us back! And, worse, deprived me of my battle!"

"I'm not here to watch you fight," Loki spat. The two of them had used the remaining energy manifested in Loki's scepter to teleport away from Janjira. They were standing on a small island in the middle of the ocean. "If it wasn't for my interference, the humans would still have the Tesseract!"

"If it wasn't for your interference, WE would have the Tesseract!" he spat back. Thanos punched a tree, causing it to burst into thousands of splinters. He rubbed his forehead and let out a heavy sigh. "The only comfort I can take from this is that many of those humans died in that creature's rampage."

"I don't understand," Loki said, sitting on the ground. "That creature should have bent to my will. I had the Tesseract."

"The Tesseract requires a strong mind and a stronger sense of control," Thanos said. "Yours were not strong enough to tame it."

"Pah!" Loki scoffed. "And you believe yourself superior?"

"I don't need to believe," Thanos boasted. "I know."

"Is that so?" Loki growled.

"Where would you be without my army?" Loki locked his jaw in anger, having found himself bested by the brute. "Exactly."

"Well, your army will do us no good currently," Loki said. "Until we can harvest more energy to refuel the scepter, we're both trapped on this planet."

"Trapped?" Thanos mused. "Hah! "Isolated" maybe. But far from "trapped". There is truth in your words, however. Until we can retrieve the Tesseract, our options are limited."

"What do you propose?" Loki asked.

"We will wait and watch the humans now," Thanos said. "Use your sorcery to infiltrate their ranks and walk among them. It is the least you can do."

"Oh, well I am so glad to have been given your permission," Loki scoffed. Thanos glared at him with great intensity.

"Watch yourself, boy."

* * *

**Edit 7/22/14: Added dialogue with Joe Brody**


	6. Seven Against One

Tony and Steve shook hands firmly and greeted their fellow Avengers. Everyone had been assembled back on the Helicarrier, which flew high above the sea. Thor embraced Steve tightly.

"It is good to see you again, my friend," he said with much vigor. Steve patted him on the back.

"Good to see you too, pal," he said.

"Well, good to see that you're in a better mood now," Tony said, leaning back against a railing.

"Although Loki, Thanos, and this MUTO trouble me, I cannot deny my high spirits amongst friends and warriors," Thor replied. "Of course, I will feel a great burden lifted from my shoulders when all three are brought to justice."

"That makes two of us," Steve said. Bruce slid over to Tony.

"Well, it looks like I was wrong to doubt you," he said.

"Yeah," Tony said, nodding with a smile. "You were." Bruce let out an amused huff of air through his nose.

"You could at least pretend to be humble," he said.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Tony asked. The automatic doors slid open behind them, and Admiral Stenz and Captain Hampton entered with Rhodey behind them. Steve stood at attention and saluted.

"At ease, soldier," Admiral Stenz said. They all lined up before the two of them. Steve, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Tony, and Bruce. Admiral Stenz paced slowly left to right before them. "Some of you have already been acquainted with me. Others have not. I am Rear Admiral William Stenz of the United States Navy. This is Captain Russell Hampton, also of the United States Navy." He saluted. "I was overseas when I heard about the battle you waged against Loki in New York. The Avengers were definitely a fighting force this world needed, and it is an honor to be working alongside each and every one of you." Admiral Stenz saluted them. He took a few slow steps towards Steve. "Captain Steve Rogers," he said slowly.

"Sir," Steve responded. Admiral Stenz saluted him.

"It is an enormous honor to meet you, sir," Admiral Stenz said. "You are an inspiration to each and every one of us and the ideal model soldier."

"I'm just a soldier like everyone else, sir," Steve said. "I may have a super serum in me, but I clean and press my uniform like every other patriot."

"My grandson wants to become just like you one day," Admiral Stenz said.

"I'm sure he'll make the boys in blue proud, sir," Steve said. Admiral Stenz extended his hand to Steve, who promptly shook it. A firm handshake between old soldiers. He made his way over to Thor. His steely eyes gazed at the Asgardian.

"I understand that this Loki is your brother," Admiral Stenz said. He nodded. "I know that this can't be easy for you, son."

"While Loki will always be my brother in my heart, I will not let that distract me from our mission," Thor stated. "Loki must be stopped, no matter the cost." The two locked eyes.

"Exactly how far would you be willing to go to stop him, son?" he asked.

"I will not sacrifice the lives of innocents, if that is what you imply," Thor stated.

"There may be a scenario where that might not be possible."

"Perhaps. But until then…" Admiral Stenz nodded. Clint was next.

"Agent Barton," he said. "You've got a hell of a firing arm, son."

"Thank you, sir," Clint replied. Admiral Stenz peered into his eyes.

"It's come to my attention that Loki had indoctrinated you to aid in his efforts to obtain the Tesseract."

"That is correct, sir," Clint said. Admiral Stenz furrowed his brow.

"That makes me a bit suspicious, soldier," he said. "I wonder. Is he still in there somewhere? Is he listening in on us? Right now?" Natasha glanced at Clint from her peripheral, hiding the worry in her eyes. "For all I know, you could be the weak link. And I can't deal with a weak link-"

"Permission to speak, sir," Natasha interrupted. The others turned to look at her.

"Natasha-"

"Permission granted," Admiral Stenz said.

"I understand that you hold Agent Barton with some degree of suspicion, but he is one of the most capable people I know. He is a loyal agent through and through. I would trust him with my life. You have absolutely nothing to fear from him, sir." A silence filled the room. Natasha let out a heavy sigh. Admiral Stenz was nodding slowly.

"Very well," he said. He turned back to Clint. "No hard feelings, Agent Barton. Just grilling you, son. I trust you, and I take Agent Romanoff's testimony to heart. Can't be too sure, son."

"No hard feeling, sir," Clint said. "Sometimes I'm not sure myself." Admiral Stenz merely nodded and proceeded to Natasha.

"Agent Romanoff," he said. "I've read your file. You have quite a comprehensive history on your hands."

"And a lot of blood on my ledger, too," she said.

"Don't we all?" he asked.

"Mine is riddled with blood," Natasha said. "I'd like to wipe some away."

"A noble effort, but some stains can never be washed out."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try. Admiral Stenz was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"You don't seem like the conventional recruit for a team like the Avengers," he continued. "You're not a soldier. But maybe that's an advantage. For a team like this, we need more than just soldiers. You held your own in New York pretty damn good."

"Thank you, sir," she said. Next was none other than Tony Stark. He stood there, casually eating a bag of blueberries.

"Mister Tony Stark," Admiral Stenz said, analyzing him.

"Yep," was his casual reply. He held the bag out for him. "Blueberry?" Admiral Stenz glanced down at it before taking out out of the bag. He popped it in his mouth and chewed it.

"It's unfortunate that you're no longer in the weapons manufacturing business," he said. "It's a shame. We could use that firepower against the MUTO."

"With all due respect, sir, the weapons I made to protect people were instead being used to do greater harm. I didn't want that to be my life anymore." Admiral Stenz nodded once more.

"I can understand that," he said, taking another blueberry. "Instead, you built yourself an Iron Man suit. I respect your decision, Mr. Stark, but a Jericho warhead would be instrumental in this fight." He finally came over to Bruce. "Doctor Banner."

"Sir?" he asked. Admiral Stenz looked into his eyes searchingly. "If you're trying to find the other guy, it doesn't work like that. You won't need to worry about me, sir. I've got a tight lid on him."

"If the going gets tough, we may need you to loosen up that lid, son," he said.

"Only if necessary," was Bruce's reply. Admiral Stenz stepped back towards Rhodey and Captain Hamilton.

"I'm sure some of you are familiar with Colonel James Rhodes," he said. "Better known as the Iron Patriot." Rhodey saluted them all, which Steve returned.

"Captain Rogers," Rhodey said. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. You are an inspiration."

"You're an inspiration yourself, Colonel," Steve replied. "The Iron Patriot. Love the colors." Rhodey smiled, and Tony rolled his eyes. A voice came over the intercom.

"Admiral Stenz, we may have possibly located the MUTO." Agent Hill was speaking. "Please come up to the bridge."

"Alright, people," Admiral Stenz said. "Mobilize!" They all filed in after him and proceeded to the bridge.

"Hear that?" Rhodey asked. "The Captain says he likes the Iron Patriot."

"Well, I can't imagine why," Tony said flatly.

* * *

The crew had gathered on the bridge, staring through the enormous window at the island down in the water. It was a small plateau off the coast of the Solomon Islands. A geographical anomaly out in the blue void. A large hole was in the middle of it, surrounded by lush trees and ferns. Three US battleships were surrounding the plateau. The sun was nowhere to be found, the weather dominated by gray clouds.

"We're detecting radiation waves coming from within that hole," Serizawa said. "We believe the MUTO resides within."

"What the hell…" Rhodey said in disbelief. "This MUTO must be huge." Thor leaned in close.

"You have no idea," he said. Vivienne was watching the plateau with Serizawa.

"Sensei, do you think it's him?" she asked quietly.

"No," he said. "It doesn't match the patterns." Clint overheard their conversation and seemed confused. He leaned over to Tony.

"D'you hear those two?" he whispered.

"No. What?" Tony asked.

"Graham asked Serizawa if he thought it was "him", and he said it didn't fit the patterns," Clint explained. Now, Tony looked as confused as Clint did.

"Who's "him"? And what patterns?"

"I got no clue," Clint said. "Seems like these Monarch guys know more than they let on. Keep an eye on 'em."

"We still haven't been told what exactly this MUTO is," Steve said.

"It's big," Natasha said.

"It's ugly," Clint added.

"And it's powerful," Thor said.

"What exactly is our mission statement?" Clint asked.

"You will be sent down to the plateau to retrieve the Tesseract from the MUTO," Fury said. "You will have naval support and long range support from the Helicarrier."

"So we're to head down and fight it?" Thor asked.

"Works for me," Tony said. "Let's go."

"Hold on, Tony," Rhodey said. "We don't even know what we're up against."

"I do," Natasha said. "Sir, with all due respect, the MUTO manages to beat Thor."

"But Thor won't be fighting alone this time," Fury said. "And in an open space with no distractions. With so many of you and our covering fire, the MUTO won't get off so easily this time." Thor was still a bit unsure about this plan. Yet, there were no other alternatives.

"Very well," Thor said. "I shall do battle against the beast. To restore my honor and defend this Earth."

"I'm in," Clint said. "I'm squashin' that bug."

"That goes for me too," Natasha said.

"Looks like there's gonna be two Iron Men on the scene," Tony said, bumping fists with Rhodey.

"It's time to see what this MUTO is made of," Steve said.

"Count me in," Bruce added. The others turned to him in shock.

"Doctor Banner, are you sure about this?" Steve asked.

"Not really," he said. "But we're gonna need all the help we can get. The big guy has your back."

"Sweet!" Tony said. "Return of the lean, mean, green machine."

"Tony," Rhodey said.

"Don't ruin it," Tony replied.

"Alright, troops," Steve said. "Suit up! It's time for a bug hunt!"

Tony and Rhodey climbed into their suits, the power levels reading optimum. Natasha and Clint primed their weapons, stocking double amounts of ammunition and plenty of grenades. Thor clutched Mjolnir in his fist, feeling the static crackle between his fingers. Steve donned the red, white, and blue uniform and slung the shield over his back. Bruce merely stood on the flight deck of the Helicarrier, looking over the ever expanding water. Iron Man and Iron Patriot lifted off from the Helicarrier like rockets, spirarling towards the plateau. Thor zipped alongside them, hammer out before him. Steve piloted a transport vehicle down with Natasha and Clint in the back.

Bruce's muscles began to twitch. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His skin began to turn green, and his muscles inflated to superhuman levels. He became so huge that his clothes began to tear, leaving only his pants mostly intact. Bruce Banner was dormant, now replaced by the Incredible Hulk. With a terrifying roar, the Hulk leapt from the Helicarrier and began falling towards the plateau like a meteor.

The transport had touched down, and the three exited it. Tony, Rhodey, and Thor touched down gently onto the ground beside them. They were all caught offguard when a huge force smashed into the ground beside them. The Hulk stood up tall and shook himself off.

"Hulk here," he barked. The team slowly approached the rim of the hole and stared into the abyss. Natasha removed her flare gun and fired it inside. The flare began to descend faster and faster until it could no longer be seen. Clint let out a whistle.

"That's deep," he said.

"So how are we doing this?" Steve asked.

"We need to flush it out to the surface," Natasha said.

"Why don't we just pop a bomb in the hole?" Tony asked.

"This plateau is too small for explosive ordinance," Thor said. "It would shatter it completely into the water. We might lose the Tesseract. I could channel a bolt of lightning to strike deep within the hole."

"But we don't know how far it goes," Steve said. "This MUTO could've dug a tunnel into the side. You wouldn't be able to hit it."

"Tony and I could fly down into the hole and do recon-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Hulk shouted into the hole. The guttural roar echoed farther and farther down into the black abyss.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_" It was a primal warbled screech. Like nothing ever heard before. Almost alien.

"Well, that works," Tony said. The ground began to shake beneath their feet.

"Back!" Thor yelled. The team prepared themselves. Mjolnir sparked and crackled. Tony and Rhodey primed their arsenal. Steve held the Vibranium shield in his hand. The Hulk pounded his chest with fury. Clint had an explosive arrow primed, and Natasha clutched napalm grenades. The sight of an enormous hooked forearm was their first glimpse of the creature. The MUTO lifted its entire body out of the hole, towering over them completely. It hissed at them, looking down with disdain. In its small hands connected to the limbs at the center of its torso was a glowing cube.

"The Tesseract!" Thor shouted.

"Hulk get!" With a roar, the Hulk leapt with incredible force up towards the MUTO. He slammed into it and began pulling on the left arm. The MUTO clutched it tighter in its right hand, determined not to let go. Enraged, the MUTO used its forelimb to swat the Hulk off of it. The Hulk hit the dirt with a thud. A sudden blow to the jaw sent the MUTO staggering. Mjolnir flew back into Thor's hand. The creature reeled in pain as it felt its back being peppered with gunfire. It turned to see Tony and Rhodes hovering above it. With one leap, the MUTO flew into the air and began to chase the two. They circled around the plateau in an attempt to outwit the MUTO, but it was hot on their trail. Its wing tip skimmed the surface of the water.

"How the hell does something get this big?" Rhodey asked.

"You wanna turn around and ask it?" Tony replied. The MUTO slammed itself into the side of the plateau, caught offguard by the barrage of gunfire from the battleships. It cried out in pain and anger as it climbed back to the top. A bolt of lightning singed its brow, causing it to scream once more. Clint shot several arrows into the air and pressed a button on his bow. The arrows doubled as flashbangs and completely disoriented the MUTO. The Hulk pulled on its back foot, causing it to trip. It hit the ground hard, causing some of the rock to crack and crumble. Rhodey unleashed several rockets from the mounted cannon on his back. Natasha lit its skin on fire with some of her napalm grenades. The MUTO began to regain its senses and delivered a swift kick to the Hulk. The green giant was flung from the plateau and crashed into one of the battleships. He staggered to his feet, dizzy from the kick. The Hulk dove in the water and paddled for the plateau. The constant barrage of gunfire and the onslaught from the Avengers wasn't doing much harm to it. It was just making it angry.

Very angry.

With a guttural shriek, it lifted its forelimbs high into the air and slammed them into the ground. An enormous wave of energy shot from its claws and flew outwards. The HUDs in Rhodey and Tony's helmets went off. "Uhh, JARVIS?"

All gunfire had completely stopped, with all three battleships dead in the water. A soldier was running diagnostics on the ship but couldn't reactivate it.

"Lieutenant Brody, what's our situation?" a soldier called out.

"No good!" Brody replied. "I… I think that was an EMP! It knocked out all our circuitry! We're dead in the water here!"

Screams of terror were emanating from within the Helicarrier. It was descending towards the water at an incredibly fast rate. With a loud smack, it made touchdown with the water's surface.

Rhodey and Tony were lying in craters beside one another.

"What the hell happened?" Rhodey asked.

"I think we just fell out of the sky," Tony said. They staggered to their feet and turned around, seeing the MUTO in combat with Thor. Rhodey raised his wrist at the creature but nothing happened.

"Tony, my weapons aren't working," he said. Tony attempted the same thing but got the same result.

"Mine either," he said. "JARVIS, run a diagnostic." The usual snarky voice was nowhere to be heard. "JARVIS." Again, no response. "JARVIS!"

Clint clicked his bow several times but got none of his tech to reactivate.

"Not again!" he cursed. Hulk was slowly scaling the side of the plateau, eager to continue battle with the MUTO. Thor and the MUTO were trading blows, each one stronger than the last. Thor landed a blow with Mjolnir right in the creature's stomach. The Tesseract slipped out of the MUTO's grip, falling for the Earth. Thor dove for the cube, sliding through the dirt and catching it like a baseball.

"Got it!" he yelled victoriously. His cry of victory was followed by a loud thud and intense pain as the MUTO stomped the Asgardian into the mud. The Tesseract rolled out of his hands and back into the dirt. The MUTO swiped it up in its small hands and hugged it close to its body. With a roar, Hulk leapt over the edge and charged the MUTO. He jumped on its head and began pulling at its mandibles. The MUTO cried out in pain and frustration, shaking its head wildly to get the green giant off. Hulk held on with all his might. Natasha removed a grenade from belt and threw it at the creature's back. Unfortunately, the MUTO turned its body around, and the grenade detonated in the middle of Hulk's back. The MUTO slammed its head into the ground, pinning the Hulk into the dirt. The monster staggered around, disoriented from headbutting the ground. Hulk leaned on his shoulders, trying to get up. The MUTO picked him up and hurled him at Thor. Thor had just gotten to his feet only to be knocked over the edge and into the water with Hulk.

The MUTO let out an extremely enraged screech and began slamming its forelimbs into the plateau. It pounded it like an angry gorilla. The entire plateau began to crumble, with enormous chunks of rock falling into the ocean and kicking up enormous waves. Rhodey and Tony were hit by several falling rocks and tumbled over the edge. A large green arm swept them up before they hit the water. Hulk was hanging onto the rocky ledge.

"Hulk got you!" he said.

"Thanks, big guy," Tony said. Steve had dug his shield into the rock wall, hanging onto it for dear life as he dangled over the ocean. More of the plateau gave way, causing Natasha to fall off. Steve extended his arm out to catch her. In the blink of an eye, she managed to grab it. He pulled her up onto his back.

"Hold on to me!" he yelled. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight. "Natasha! I can't breathe!" More of the plateau started to crumble. Clint was the only one remaining topside before one final enormous chunk of rock gave way. The archer began to plummet towards the water.

"Clint!"Natasha yelled out, with fear being present for the longest time in her voice. Thor darted through the maze of falling rubble and caught Clint before he was smashed between two chunks. Natasha breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she wouldn't lose him again. Hulk was climbing over to them with Rhodey and Tony hanging on to his right arm.

"_Vrrrrrr-aaaah-aaaah-aaaah-aaaah-aaaah-aaaah-aaah…."_

The chilling call echoed across the ocean. They all turned to see the MUTO flying over the ocean, its black silhouette prominent against the gray clouds. It shrank farther and farther until the clouds swallowed it completely. Tony turned his head to look out at the battleships. They drifted silently in the waves, the Helicarrier behind them. The entire Avengers team was exhausted beyond compare. They had put their all into that showdown. They had no MUTO corpse or Tesseract to make their efforts feel unwasted.

And it had escaped again, getting closer towards the west coast of the United States.


	7. Debriefing

The Avengers team sat at the table on the bridge of the Helicarrier, battered and beaten. Power was eventually restored to the Helicarrier, and SHIELD was combing the entire Pacific Rim for the MUTO. The team, however, was far from ready to reengage the MUTO. Bruce was sitting at the table, holding an ice pack to his head. Steve was rubbing his neck, sore on the account of Natasha holding onto him. Clint was rubbing a damp rag on Natasha's forehead, cleaning up a nasty gash she had received when the plateau crumbled into the sea. Tony was using a welding torch on his helmet. Thor was holding his sides, which were quite sore from being swatted around like a gnat. Admiral Stenz stood before them, with Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and Maria Hill beside him. Doctor Serizawa and Vivienne were to the side. Armed guards surrounded the room.

"I won't pretend that our first formal strike was a success," he said, his arms folded.

"Well, I didn't exactly count on an EMP blast," Tony said. "By the way, a little warning would have been nice."

"After our first run in with its little secret power, we began development of a device that would allow us to build a suppression field," Fury said. "It was installed here on the Helicarrier and was supposed to prevent the EMP from taking out all we had. With it hovering over the plateau, it provided all of our forces with a wide safety range. This was to be its first official test against the MUTO."

"Well, it didn't pan out that well," Tony said.

"Something I had not anticipated," Fury said.

"The diagnostic reports say that it was working and fully functional," Agent Hill said.

"I believe the Tesseract had something to do with your device's failure," Thor said. "It amplifies one's normal abilities with the power contained within."

"So this MUTO is using the Tesseract?" Steve asked.

"I don't think so," Bruce said. "This thing might be smart, but it's still just an animal. I doubt it really knows what it has. Only sees it as just a small source of radiation to leech off. Or just a shiny trinket."

"This thing's carrying around the world's ultimate ace in the hole, and it doesn't even know it?" Tony asked.

"Ignorance is bliss, I suppose," Bruce replied.

"I'm still confused as to what the hell we just fought," Steve said. "I've seen plenty of crazy things but nothing like that."

"MUTO," Admiral Stenz said. "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism."

"Well, it's definitely not terrestrial," Tony said.

"Where the hell did this thing come from?" Steve asked. Admiral Stenz looked over at Viviene and Serizawa.

"W-well," Vivienne started. "In 1999, we found an incredible find in a quarry located in the Philippines. The world's largest skeleton of any animal in existence was found perfectly preserved. 247 feet in length. Attached to the ceiling of the underground cavern were two red spores, with pustules all over their surface. One had burst open. It hatched, and the creature escaped by digging a tunnel out of the cave and to the ocean."

"Where it made its way to Janjira," Tony said.

"Why, yes," she replied.

"It caused that plant to collapse?" Natasha asked.

"Yes," Serizawa stated. "It came to the plant seeking radiation. It burrowed into it, causing it to collapse. Many workers were killed."

"And an entire city of people had to abandon their entire home because of it," Tony said, keeping the slight semblance of bitterness in his voice at bay.

"So where was all the radiation?" Natasha asked. "Janjira should have been uninhabitable, like Chernobyl."

"The MUTO absorbed it all," Fury said. "The MUTO feeds off radiation. It attached itself to the nuclear reactor and drained it dry."

"When it was safe to enter the area, all Monarch found was a large black and red construct," Vivienne said. "We were unsure what it was at the time, save for the fact that it was alive."

"A chrysalis," Thor said.

"Indeed," she responded. "We thought the MUTO needed the radiation to stay alive. We were only half right. It needed the radiation to also evolve."

"Until it hatched like a butterfly into the creature you saw today," Serizawa said.

"So you guys were charging this thing up for years like some sort of organic battery," Tony said. "Why didn't you just kill it when you had the chance?"

"No one could have predicted this," Fury said, holding up his hand. "Most of this is recent development."

"It was absorbing radiation from the reactors," Vivienne pleaded. "We worried killing it might release that radiation and endanger millions."

"That's why our mission was to contain it," Serizawa said. "To study its biology. To understand it."

"We knew the creature was having an electrical effect on everything within a close proximity," Vivienne said. "What we didn't know was that it could harness this same power in an EMP attack."

"Joe knew," Tony said to himself quietly, reflecting on his death. He planned on treating him to a drink after all this, figuring it would help ease his troubled mind. Now, he'd never get the chance.

"How does a bug do an EMP blast like that?" Steve asked.

"We don't know," Vivienne answered. "Not for certain."

"That just doesn't seem possible," Bruce said. "I mean, I've done some impossible things, but we're talking about an organic creature carrying out a technological attack. This just doesn't add up."

"How does a creature end up feeding on radiation?" Natasha asked.

"We believed the MUTO and other creatures like it evolved millions of years ago," Vivienne said. "When the Earth was much more radioactive than before."

"Others creatures?" Steve asked. "As in that more could be out there?"

"Nothing had ever officially been confirmed, but Monarch and SHIELD investigated unusual anomalies that popped up here and there," Coulson said. "Sinkholes that appeared overnight. Thought they would be MUTOs, but nothing was ever found."

"So there could be more out there?" Steve asked.

"Perhaps," Fury said.

"Where is the second spore being kept?" Tony asked.

"Sealed inside Yucca Mountain," Fury said. "We needed to contain it alongside all the other radioactive pieces of material."

"You placed a creature that lives off radiation inside a mountain chock full of it?" Tony asked.

"Give us some credit, Mr. Stark," Admiral Stenz said. "We had it isolated in its own chamber away from the other materials."

"Oddly enough, this MUTO had proven to be much quieter than the other one," Coulson said. "Only one isolated incident. It unleashed an EMP blast that took out the power along the northeastern seaboard while we were transporting it to Yucca Mountain. Other than that, it was quite well behaved."

"What did you mean before?" Natasha asked. "The Earth being more radioactive."

"We believe the MUTO's species evolved at some point during the Permian era," Serizawa said.

"How did it evolve to feed on radiation?" Tony asked. "There can't have been that many power plants back in the dino days."

"Volcanoes," Vivienne said. "They produce heavy amounts of them. The Permian-Triassic extinction event was attributed heavily to supervolcanic activity. The MUTO's ancient ancestor evolved to use it as an energy source."

"How does something like this even work?" Tony asked. "There's no way in hell that it should exist."

"It's more common than you think," Bruce said. "But this still doesn't explain that EMP. If you're lucky, or unlucky, radiation can give you immense powers. Super regenerative abilities and super strength, but this is something else entirely."

"Could aliens have been involved?" Steve asked. "Made some sort of biological superweapon and planted it here millions of years ago?"

"At this point, anything is possible," Fury said.

"Radiation sources surely died down at some point," Clint said. "How did it survive for so long?"

"Hibernation," Vivienne said. "Although volcanic activity eventually decreased, there were still sources hidden in the corners of our planet."

"Undersea volcanoes deep underwater," Serizawa said. "Digging close to volcanic chambers deep underground would allow it to have direct access to the source."

"And now our world is acting like some sort of all-you-can-eat buffet for this thing," Clint said.

"Yet another reason to go green," Tony said.

"Aren't we forgetting the really important question here?" Rhodey asked. "How do we kill it?"

"I'm not sure you can," Serizawa said. A chill filled the room.

"How's that possible?" Agent Hill asked. "You have to be able to kill it."

"It's formidable," Thor said. "And durable. Even with the combined might of the Hulk and myself, the beast refused to fall. I believe the doctor's words may ring true."

"I'm sure me and Rhodey could've taken it down," Tony said.

"That thing showed no sign of weakening," Steve said. "Even with the navy and the Helicarrier unloading on it."

"And without any Stark or Phase 2 weaponry, we are at a severe disadvantage," Admiral Stenz said. "The United States has the best defense force of any country on Earth, but SHIELD's technology far surpasses our own. If SHIELD has difficulty taking down the MUTO, our country may be in even greater trouble than previously realized."

"The Tesseract certainly isn't doing us any favors," Clint said.

"We almost had it," Bruce said. "If the big guy had been a little faster-"

"He did his best, Bruce," Steve said. "And so did you."

"Even without the Tesseract in its possession, the MUTO was still an unbelievably formidable foe," Thor admitted. "In all my battles, I had never met a beast so powerful before."

"I'm not gonna let my country fall to some bug," Steve said. "I'll put everything on the line to stop that thing."

"Commendable as that may be, it may be a futile effort," Fury said. "Thor and the Hulk couldn't stop it together, even with the aid of our heavy gunfire."

"I hate to admit it, but Fury may be right," Bruce said. "This thing feeds on nuclear energy, and the US is full of it. This MUTO may be set for life. Citywide destruction is definite if this thing makes it to American land, and the resulting energy crisis that follows would-"

"There is another alternative," Admiral Stenz said. "A nuclear strike may deal with the MUTO permanently." The air quickly grew even more tense.

"That is absolutely out of the question," Fury said sternly, narrowing his good eye at the admiral. "The Council tried to convince me to nuke Manhattan back when Loki was running amuck. I didn't let it happen then, and I won't let it now."

"How exactly does killing a creature that feeds on radiation with a nuclear bomb solve our problem?" Tony asked. "You'd just be putting more wood on the fire."

"Nuclear armament development has advanced exponentially since the 20th Century, Mr. Stark," Admiral Stenz answered. "We've got devices that would make early nuclear bomb tests look like firecrackers The intense force and heat from the blast would kill it on impact."

"Are you not considering the environmental damage these nukes could cost?" Bruce asked. "Even after all these years, the Bikini Atoll is still uninhabitable."

"A small sacrifice to pay," Admiral Stenz said. "Nukes are never our first option and are never a final option selected with ease. But I have to defend our country and this Earth. From forces without and within."

"I understand your sentiment, sir," Steve said. "I've had to make some tough calls in my day, but this is a whole other jump. We need to take this slow and figure it out."

"With all due respect, son, we don't have time to take it slow," Admiral Stenz stated. "This thing is rapidly approaching United States waters with every flight, and we can't keep it a secret from the public forever. Once this thing ends up being spotted by a major population, we'll have a worldwide panic on our hands."

"Our weapons may have barely scratched it, but I don't believe that it's as immortal as you think it is, doctor," Fury said. He pressed a button on the holographic interface. His voice began to echo over the loudspeaker. "Until there is a definite plan of attack, I want all aerial units tracking the MUTO. Do not engage. I repeat. Do NOT engage." One guard switched shifts with another and left the room. Steve let out a heavy sigh, his chest rising and falling with it. He turned to a weary looking Serizawa, with Vivienne still standing right beside him.

"Doctor," he said. "Is there any way to kill this thing? Any way at all? Any secret weapon SHIELD or Monarch has?" Serizawa sighed. He looked down at his shoes.

"Nothing manmade can kill this beast," he said lowly. Everyone had grown quiet at these words. He glanced over at Vivienne, who slowly nodded at him. He nodded at her in return and looked back towards the others. "But I believe something can." He had their undivided attention with this statement.

"Like what?" Natasha asked. Serizawa looked at Vivienne again, who nodded for him to continue.

"In 1954, we awakened something," he began. Fury folded his arms and let out a heavy sigh.

"Here we go," he muttered. The others turned to look at him.

"Huh," Tony said. "Something Fury doesn't want us to hear? Well, this has to be good."

"It's just one of the doctor's conspiracy theories," Fury said.

"It was a conspiracy theory that brought me here," Tony said. "It proved to be right, so I think we should hear what he has to say."

"We really don't have any other options," Bruce said, leaning back in his chair. "I say let him speak."

"If it's something I don't know, I want to know," Natasha said.

"I wanna hear the doctor out," Steve said. "There could be something we can gain from this."

"I agree," Admiral Stenz said. "If the doctor has an alternative to nuclear weaponry, let's have it." Serizawa nodded at Vivienne. She placed an enormous metal briefcase on the counter. On the side of it was a black silhouette of a dinosaur's head under a red circle with a strike through it. She clicked it open, and a projector activated. Footage of old nuclear bomb tests from the 50s began to play.

"My father, Daisuke Serizawa, was serving as a sailor when his crew encountered a MUTO. An American naval ship had been run aground on a small island in the Pacific. A creature had attacked it and was rampaging through the Pacific, feeding on radiation sources. Many boats were destroyed, with many casualties following."

"This MUTO was dubbed "Shinomura" by Monarch," Vivienne said.

"You named it?" Steve asked.

"We needed a way to specify it," she said. "It was a highly unusual lifeform, unlike anything we had witnessed before." She pressed the button on the projector, which switched from the nuclear footage to a photograph of a small black crab-like creature. It could fit in someone's hand. "This is at its base form. An incredibly small creature, practically harmless. At its largest, it resembled this." She pressed the button again, switching to an elaborate drawing. It was a large black creature that resembled a sea lamprey with a large scorpion-like tail and bat-like wings. The drawing was incredibly detailed. "There was no actual picture of the creature. Daisuke Serizawa drew it from memory."

"How did it grow so big?" Clint asked.

"Monarch had studied the small creatures it was comprised of," Serizawa explained. "By absorbing radiation, they could assimilate and become a new and more powerful organism. It had been awakened when the bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. Monarch had found a tunnel dug from the base of the Abu volcano."

"Under the orders of General Douglas MacArthur, Shinomura was killed via a nuclear bomb," Vivienne said. "Officially, it was designated a nuclear test."

"All the more reason why we should nuke this MUTO as well," Admiral Stenz said.

"Let them continue," Thor said, holding up a hand.

"The bomb only finished the job," Serizawa said.

"What started it?" Clint asked. Serizawa removed some notes from a yellow envelop,e which held the same symbol as on the briefcase.

"As I said earlier, in 1954, we awakened something," he said. "It was the first time a nuclear submarine ever reached the lower depths."

"The Americans first thought it was the Russians," Vivienne said. "The Russians first thought it was them."Serizawa pushed the button on the projector once more. Old footage of a nuclear submarine named "The Nautilus" was shown.

"All those nuclear tests in the Pacific? The 50s?" Vivienne said. "Not tests."

"They were trying to kill it," Serizawa stated. He pressed the button again. The team leaned in close, enthralled at the image before them. Large jagged triangular shapes jutted out from a large mass as it lifted out of the ocean, huge waves of water washing off of the top. Whatever it was, it looked positively enormous. "Him. An ancient alpha predator."

"Millions of years older than mankind," Vivienne said. "From an age when the Earth was ten times more radioactive than it is today. This animal and others like it consumed this radiation as a food source. But as the levels on the surface naturally subsided, these creatures naturally adapted to live deeper in the oceans and further underground, absorbing radiation from the Earth's core. The organization we work for, Monarch, was established in the wake of this discovery. A multinational coalition formed in secrecy. To search for him. Study him. Learn everything we could."

"Another monster," Bruce breathed.

"No," Vivienne said. "Not a monster. Top of the primordial ecosystem. For all intents and purposes, a god." Thor's face grew tense. He could not deny the feelings of intimidation he felt.

"Looks like you got competition, big guy," Tony said to him. Despite his nonchalant exterior, Tony felt chills from what Vivienne said.

"This creature hunted Shinomura," Serizawa said. "He was protecting his territory from potential rivals. The ultimate alpha predator. My father said it was like watching the Leviathan and the Behemoth fight."

"Shinomura had been active in the Pacific after being awoken by the Hiroshima bombing," Vivienne said. "This creature was awakened as a result of the Castle Bravo test. After the test, the United States Navy detected undersea activity and sent a submarine to investigate. They found and fired upon the creature, who retaliated."

"He destroyed three battleships in his rage," Serizawa said. "From that moment, he was hunted."

"They originally began as nuclear tests, but it then turned into a hunt." Vivienne pressed the button again, pulling up a picture of a bright orange mushroom cloud.

"Operation Redwing," she said. "Seventeen detonations." An image of a grey mushroom cloud popped up. "Operation Hardtack I: thirty five tests."

"Jesus," Rhodey whispered. "It took several dozen bombs to kill this thing."

"Doctor Serizawa believes otherwise," Fury said. "It's just not possible to survive so many bombings, even if the animal absorbed radiation. Shinomura was disintegrated in the atomic blast. It was only natural to assume the other was, too."

"Well, we do have a habit of playing around with possibility," Bruce said.

"Is that the creature that the skeleton you dug up belongs to?" Natasha asked.

"No," Serizawa said. "That is much older. And smaller." A chill ran through the air from the word "smaller".

"What makes you think this thing lived?" Rhodey asked.

"We never found a body," was his reply.

"The ocean is an enormous place, covering about 70% of the Earth," Fury said.

"Most of the ocean hasn't even been explored," Admiral Stenz said. "It is possible that the body was simply lost."

"I don't believe that, sir," Serizawa said. "I believe he is alive."

"So there's a dinosaur somewhere below us," Tony said.

"After careful analysis, we don't technically consider him a dinosaur anymore," Vivienne said. "While Spinosaurus aegypticus lived a predominantly aquatic lifestyle, every other dinosaur in the fossil record has been primarily land based. Prehistoric sea creatures consist of plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and mosasaurs. He is none of them but rather an evolutionary link between the two. Even then, we're not sure he's even that anymore."

"Nuclear radiation mutates organic life heavily," Serizawa said. "It is possible that he is something else entirely now."

"That skeleton means there was more than one," Bruce noted.

"Correct," Vivienne said. "His species has been spotted by human kind many times throughout history. We believe sailors from long ago saw the species in the ocean, dubbing it Kraken, Leviathan, and other names."

"Here be dragons," Thor said.

"There's more," Serizawa added. "The African Congo legend of Mokele-mbembe. Its name translates roughly to "one who stops the flow of rivers". His species was even worshipped by ancient Japanese natives on Odo and Moansta Island. When the fishermen could not bring in any fish for the villages, they sacrificed the most beautiful young women of their tribe to appease it, according to legend."

"He got a name as well?" Clint asked. Serizawa nodded.

"In their language, he is called "_Gojira_"_._ Colloquially, he is known as "Godzilla". I believe he is the only thing that can best the MUTO."

"You certainly seem to hold him in high regard, doctor," Steve said.

"My father believed him to be more than just an animal," Serizawa said. "He believed him to be force of nature, like an earthquake or a tornado."

"And you think that Godzilla can defeat the MUTO?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Serizawa stated. "Nature has an order. A power to restore balance. I believe he IS that balance."

"But why would he fight the MUTO?" Tony asked.

"It makes perfect sense," Bruce said. "They're both enormous animals, way larger than any other living thing on the planet. And they both absorb radiation. They'd be in direct competition with one another for resources and territory. Like wolves and bears."

"How would we even get them to fight one another?" Thor asked.

"Godzilla hunts the MUTO," Serizawa said. "He will come."

"Do we even know where it is?" Rhodey asked.

"That I do not know," Serizawa admitted.

* * *

A storm raged on over the small island Thanos had taken residence at. It had been two days since Loki had left to infiltrate SHIELD. He was beginning to think that the Jotun had abandoned him here. The great brute locked his jaw in anger at the thought. Although he had enormous patience, he had little love for Loki. Part of him burned to snap his neck like a twig with enormous purple hands. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an engine, its hum growing louder. A SHIELD transport circled the island and descended towards the ground. Thanos rose to his feet and left the cover of the makeshift shelter he had constructed out of trees and rocks. The back of the transport opened, and a SHIELD guard exited. The two stood face to face.

"You certainly took your time," Thanos said. The guard's form began to shimmer with gold light and then dissipate. In his place was Loki, smirking.

"I have learned many a great deal in my time amongst the humans," he gloated.

"Hmph," Thanos said, folding his arms. "Elaborate."

"The humans' weapons cannot harm the MUTO," Loki began. "They did battle with it, and the creature defeated them utterly. Even the Avengers were no match. The humans are currently tracking its whereabouts. I have its location on the radar. With our combined might, we could kill the MUTO and show the humans they are truly no match."

"Indeed," Thanos said. "OR… we could indoctrinate the MUTO." Loki looked at his with a bemused look.

"You said it could not be tamed."

"I said YOU couldn't tame it." Loki glowered at him. "We retrieve the Tesseract from the creature and then bend it to our will." Loki pondered it for a while before a sinister grin stretched across his face.

"Yes," he purred. "Together, we are strong enough. But with a giant monster at our side, we would be unstoppable. Are you sure you are capable?"

"We shall see, won't we?" Thanos said.

"There is more," Loki said.

"More good news?"

"The best," he said. "There is a second MUTO." A grin stretched across Thanos's face. "The humans store it within a Yucca Mountain. It requires nuclear radiation to awaken, and they were foolish enough to bury it underground with tons of nuclear waste."

"Two MUTOs then," Thanos said. "Two giant monsters at our side with the combined might of the Chitauri and our strength as well, the Earth would fall."

"It would be a glorious battle," Loki said. "Lots of destruction."

"And death," Thanos stressed.

"Then, we have a plan?" Loki asked. Thanos merely nodded. "Well, then. Let us become reacquainted with the MUTO." Loki walked back into the transport with Thanos in tow.


	8. Mobilize

The SHIELD transport had tracked a radiation signal farther east from the Solomon Islands, to another small island. It was remote and barely noticeable on the map. Lush tropical plants and ferns dotted the island. The sky was blue with the sun hanging high above. The only noticeable feature was an enormous crater in the center. The transport descended a ways back from the hole. Loki and Thanos exited the vehicle and made their way towards the hole. The two peered deep into it, unable to see anything in the dark abyss that hung open like a gaping maw.

"You're sure it is here?" Thanos asked.

"Positive," Loki said. "I was able to narrow down the location of the Tesseract using the computer on the ship. It resides within. Now, pray tell, how do we plan to withdraw it from its hole? We would be at a disadvantage to fight it down below."

"Perhaps a little magic is in order," Thanos suggested. Loki smiled and waved his fingers, having his scepter materialize in his hands. The blue energy pulsed wildly in it, much stronger than before. "I see you have retrieved your old scepter."

"I performed the old "bait and switch", as the humans say," he bragged. "They know so little about Asgardian technology that they won't be able to tell the difference between the two. Now…" Loki hoisted his scepter up high and slammed it into the ground. A shockwave resonated throughout the island, reverbing deep through the rock under their feet. A familiar noise graced their ears.

"_Vrrrrr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr…_" Thanos grinned.

"I will not underestimate the beast this time," he said.

"I thought our plan was to tame the beast, not kill it," Loki said.

"I have been patient, and I desire battle," Thanos said. "I shall have it, even if it is brief." The ground began shaking at brief intervals, with loud thuds echoing from within the hole. Two black forelimbs tipped with red rose from the hole, carrying the insect-like body of the MUTO with it. It stood tall over the hole, looking down at them and spreading its wings with a snarl. In its small hands was the Tesseract.

"I shall retrieve the Tesseract," Loki said. "You keep the creature busy."

"And then it shall be ours!" Thanos yelled, leaping into the air towards the MUTO. It let out a monstrous screech, only to be cut off by Thanos's fist landing in the center of its head. The MUTO staggered back, thrown off balance by the small creature. In retaliation, it smashed its forelimb into Thanos's torso. He managed to stay on his feet but skidded back through the dirt. The brute crashed into a tree, which toppled over from the force. Loki fired bolts of blue energy from his scepter, stinging the carapace of the MUTO. It stomped its forelimb onto Loki, who ended up fading in a burst of gold light. It turned to see Loki again, which earned him a stomp. He also faded in similar fashion to earlier. The MUTO found itself surrounded by many Lokis. It swept its forelimb through them all, taking down several trees with them. While the MUTO attacked the Lokis, the real Loki was maintaining his balance on its tiny middle arm. His illusion copies distracted the beast while he attempted to pry the Tesseract from its gangly fingers. Thanos leapt upon the MUTO's head and slid its fingers under its jaw, pulling it back. The MUTO reared back in pain, flapping its wings violently. "Get it, you fool!"

"I shall have it!" Loki replied. He put more pressure on his specter, still trying to pry it out of the MUTO's vice like grip. The scepter was being pulled into his chest, but the Tesseract was still locked within its fingers. Thanos grew impatient and leapt from the MUTO's head down to its torso. It landed on the other arm and grabbed the forearm. The brute pulled it back away from the Tesseract, his foot planted firmly on the creature's elbow. Even with only one arm holding onto the cube, Loki had difficulty prying it out of the MUTO's fingers. With a frustrated yell, he stabbed the blade on his scepter into the creature's wrist. Blood splashed out of the serration Loki had created. A pained screech rang out over the island, and the MUTO's hand twitched and spazzed. The Tesseract hit the dirt , kicking up much of it upon impact. "It is free!" Loki and Thanos leapt down off the MUTO and landed on the island floor. The MUTO licked at its wound and peered down at them, its mandibles contorted in a sneer. Thanos wrapped his thick fingers around the cube and pointed it at the MUTO.

"Enough of this!" he shouted. The Tesseract began to crackle with blue electricity. "Obey, creature!" The MUTO snapped at them. "I am Thanos, the Mad Titan! The savage Chitauri obey me, and so shall you! You will obey! Obey! OBEY!" A blindingly bright blue beam of energy shot from the Tesseract and phased through the MUTO but then fading as quickly as it arrived. The MUTO stood still, just watching them. The red markings on its body flashed blue and then quickly changed back to red. All that could be heard was it breathing and the sound of waves softly crashing upon the sandy shore. The MUTO shook its head. Thanos grinned. "It is ours now."

"Excellent," Loki said and walked towards it. It hissed at him, causing him to step back to Thanos. "I thought you said it was ours."

"It is," Thanos said. "To an extent." Loki glared at him.

"To an extent?" he asked. "You claimed you could control the MUTO with the Tesseract!"

"Controlling an animal is not the same as with a human," Thanos said. "Even with such a powerful object at my disposal, you cannot just erase millions of years of evolutionary primal instinct."

"Is that why it was hostile towards me? Loki asked.

"No," Thanos said with a grin. "That was for me." Loki gave him an icy stare. "The MUTO shall fight for us, but its need to feed, rest, and breed cannot be denied."

"Breed?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Thanos replied, staring into the Tesseract. "It is male. And looking for a mate." Loki was quiet, pondering something. A sinister smile crossed over his face.

"Then let us play matchmaker," he said. "Yucca Mountain awaits."

"Now THAT is a plan I can get behind," Thanos said. "It will surely be heavily defended, and the Avengers will no doubt attempt to apprehend us."

"We have the MUTO and the Tesseract now," Loki said. "What do we have to fear? The MUTO will surely sweep over them like the locust swarms of human mythology."

"Oh, but why let the monster have all the fun?" Thanos mused. "We have an opportunity on our hands for something great."

"Explain," Loki said.

"The two of us can head to Yucca Mountain and obtain the other MUTO," Thanos explained. "And the MUTO can keep the Avengers distracted in another part of the world."

"There IS a human settlement a distance from here," Loki said, remembering the chain of islands to the northeast. "You propose we send the MUTO there while we free the other?"

"Divide and conquer," Thanos said. "Once we have both MUTOs and the Avengers exhausted, we can create a portal for the Chitauri to enter from."

"And THIS time, my victory will be absolute," Loki said. "I get my planet. You get your Tesseract AND your battle." Thanos let out a deep chuckle.

"Excellent," he purred. He turned back to the MUTO, still standing there. "Go forth, creature, and wreak havoc!"

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_" The MUTO flapped its wings and lifted into the air, heading northeast. The two watched it shrink along the horizon.

* * *

The Helicarrier drifted high over the Pacific Ocean, with most of SHIELD searching the region for the renegade MUTO. The United States Navy and Air Force had planes and ships lined around the country, watching the waters and airways. With no plan of attack, the Avengers sat onboard the Helicarrier, growing more restless the longer they were inactive. Tony was busy running maintenance on both his and Rhodey's suits. Natasha and Clint were sparring downstairs in the gym, pushing themselves to outdo one another. Steve was lifting weights on the other side of the gym, listening to a playlist comprised by Tony, Clint, and even Natasha of some of America's best music since his time. Bruce was in his laboratory on the ship, doing independent research. Thor was unable to find ways to keep himself occupied and wandered the ship aimlessly. He wandered into the lounge and saw Professor Vivienne Graham organizing some papers.

"Excuse me," he said, walking over to her. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, h-hello," she said. "Can I help you?"

"I find myself uneasy and wished to engage in conversation with someone," Thor said. "If it is of no bother for you…."

"Oh, no," she said. "I don't mind. It would be an honor to talk to you, sir." Thor laughed slightly.

"Please," he said, holding up a hand. "There is no need to be so formal, ma'am."

"The same goes for you….. Thor," she said with a giggle. "I'm sorry. It's just so odd to talk to THE Thor. Both a superhero and a mythological figure."

"Well, the myth is more truth than myth," he said with a laugh.

"Right," she said. "Exactly what did you wish to talk about? What's on your mind?" Thor sighed.

"With this MUTO somewhere out there and my brother and his cohort running around unchecked, I find myself stressed," he admitted.

"Loki," she said. "Your adopted brother?"

"Yes," Thor said. "He's always be family to me, even if I must bring justice down upon him."

"What will you do when you find him?" Vivienne asked.

"Hopefully, return him and the Tesseract home. Seal them both away."

"Your home," Vivienne said. "Asgard. What is it like?"

"Oh, it's positively beautiful," Thor said. "The towers span high into the heavens and shine bright with gold."

"You must miss it," she said.

"Oh, all the time," he admitted. "But Midgard is just as beautiful." She looked puzzled. "It is the term for your Earth. Your Earth is so diverse and full of many things. The foliage and animals vary in ways too numerous to count. And your people. The humans are amazing. Such a strong and resilient race so bound to the notion of identity. And the way you learn just for learning is a testament to your prowess. Asgard could learn from you."

"You're too kind," she said, surprised by how humble he was.

"I mean it," he said. "Your Earth is full of surprises. Both good and bad. Like your MUTO."

"Speaking of the MUTO, I was wondering," she said, and then paused. "Well…. about… Godzilla. What do you think about him?"

"I believe you," he said. She looked up at him in surprise.

"R-really?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "SHIELD and your military may believe he is no more, but you seem quite convinced he still breathes."

"Even without proof, you still believe?" Vivienne asked.

"It's a lot to take on faith, but I do believe you," he said. "I was a mere myth to your people, yet here I stand. Tony Stark built a metal suit to fly. Captain Rogers survived in ice for decades. Doctor Banner transforms into a super beast. And the MUTO itself, of course. Doctor Serizawa is convinced he shall come to best the MUTO. His belief must have some sort of basis."

"You honor Sensei with your words," Vivienne said. Thor looked at her, confused.

"Sensei?" he repeated.

"It's Japanese," she said. He still gave her a confused look. "It's an Earth language." Thor nodded in understanding. "It is a formal title for those you look to for respect. Like teachers. Doctor Serizawa is my teacher."

"Your Sensei," he said. She nodded. "Well, I suppose that Captain Rogers would be a Sensei to me."

"You respect Captain Rogers greatly, I see," she said.

"He is an honorable mortal," Thor said. "His feats are revered in your world. I would follow him into the gates of Hades, if needed."

"I would do the same for Sensei," Vivienne said.

"You two are adorable," a voice said. Tony was leaning against the side of the doorway, a smirk on his face.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," Vivienne said in a friendly tone. Tony laughed.

"Please," he said. "Just "Tony", dear." He walked over to join them. "You." He pointed at Vivienne. "I was talking to Coulson, and he talked about you so much."

"He did?" she asked, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

"Oh yeah," he said. "He went nuts when you said you liked his Captain America vintage cards."

"He has the whole set!" she said energetically. "They're vintage!" Tony laughed again and shook his head.

"Looks like Steve's got competition," he said, looking at Thor. He looked confused by his comment.

"You guys talking about me?" a voice asked. Steve came through the doorway, wiping his face off with a towel.

"Hello, Mr. Rogers," Vivienne said.

"It's just "Steve" for him," Tony said, patting him on the shoulder. Steve nodded. "Takin' a break there, big guy?"

"Yeah," Steve said, slinging the towel around his neck. "I've been restless all day. I can't just stay here on the ship while that MUTO is out there."

"I as well," Thor said. "Mjolnir grows itchy in my hands with the MUTO and Loki on the loose." Tony looked back and forth between Steve and Thor.

"I'm fine," he said, patting Thor on the shoulder. "Great, actually."

"How can you be so calm?" Steve asked. "With all those things out there? SHIELD has us here like sitting ducks."

"Oh, I'm not too keen on being told what to do," Tony said. "But what other plan do we have? Let SHIELD find the MUTO, and we kick its ass. Simple as that."

"I dunno how you do it," Steve said. "I just need some sort of action."

"You may be in luck," a voice said. They all turned to see Nick Fury standing in the doorway.

"Sir?" Steve asked.

"We've got a situation," he said. "The bridge. Now." They followed Fury up to the bridge, being joined by Natasha, Clint, Rhodey, and Bruce along the way. Fury didn't say a word until they entered the bridge. Agent Hill, Coulson, Serizawa, and Captain Hampton were waiting on them. "How bad is it, Coulson?"

"Bad," he said. "Admiral Stenz left for damage control."

"Damage control?" Steve asked. He saluted Captain Hampton, which he returned. "What's happening, sir?"

"Twelve hours ago, a Russian nuclear sub disappeared along the border of United States waters," Captain Hampton said. "We suspect the MUTO is involved, but the Russian government is pointing fingers at our boys due to our ships lined up and down the borders."

"Why were the Russians so close to the US?" Rhodey asked.

"One reason why the Russians think we had something to do with their missing sub," Captain Hampton said. "As of right now, the only other people besides us that knows about the MUTO is the US government."

"We can't keep this a secret forever, sir," Natasha said. Captain Hampton sighed.

"I'm aware, but the last thing we need right now is another Cold War," he said.

"Why are things so tense between us?" Steve asked. "I thought that things calmed down after Reagan and Gorbachev."

"For a while," Natasha said.

"Things have changed in recent years, Mr. Rogers," Rhodey said. "A lot."

"I'm still a bit behind on things," Steve said. "Does it get any worse, sir?" Captain Hampton looked to Agent Hill. With a nod, she pulled up a holographic projection of a map of the Pacific. A marker appeared on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In the jungle outside of Honolulu. The Avengers all grew tense.

"That's a civilian area," Rhodey said.

"How many people live on that island?" Steve asked.

"A little under a million," Agent Coulson said. "A third of them live in the city."

"We need a game plan," Tony said abruptly. "Now." His usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be found.

"My thought exactly, Mr. Stark," Captain Hampton said. "You and the two SHIELD agents will enter the forest to locate the sub. Check for survivors. We'll need to evacuate the civilian population in the event the MUTO attacks the city. Captain Rogers, you'll be in charge of evac. Colonel Rhodes, I want you, Thor, and Doctor Banner to help organize the defense force in the city. We'll be watching the skies and defending the evac from the MUTO. If we can get through this, we can all go home. Now, let's move! Double time!" The Avengers quickly left the room and went their separate ways to suit up.

"Hey, Steve," Tony said. With a plan to go by, he was now much calmer. "After all this, what plans do you have?"

"Well, me and Thor were gonna watch some movies," he replied. "Figured it would be a fun way to learn more about all that's different."

"What did you have in mind?" Tony asked.

"Professor Graham said Doctor Who, and Agent Coulson said Star Wars."

"Star Wars," Tony said. "Excellent choice. My advice: start with the best one of them all. The Phantom Menace."

"Ooh, that sounds pretty good," Steve said.

"Trust me," Tony said with a smile. "You have no idea what to expect." Steve nodded his head, liking the sound of that.

"Well, thanks, Tony," he said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I'm sure Thor and I are gonna love it." He went into the other room to retrieve his uniform. Tony went to his lab to slip into the Iron Man suit. He was stifling a laugh the entire time.


	9. Waikiki

"Why are we even searching out here?" Tony asked as he flew over the jungle. Clint, Natasha, and members of the United States Special Forces were wandering along the jungle floor, guns primed.

"Fury said the signal from the nuclear sub was out here," Clint said, climbing over a fallen log.

"How'd it even get out here?" a soldier asked.

"Obviously the MUTO's doing," Clint answered. "Fury, you got anything yet?" Back on the Helicarrier, Fury had everyone working the bridge scanning for the signal emitted by the Tesseract. It was nowhere to be found.

"We're blind up here," Fury said. "If it's here, it's no longer carrying the Tesseract."

"It just dropped it somewhere?" Clint asked.

"That's a possibility," Fury replied.

"Damn," Tony said. "If that thing's out there in the water, it'll take forever to find."

"One thing at a time, Stark," Fury said, his voice coming over the radio. "We've got the Navy sweeping the ocean around the island for survivors. We've got agents and soldiers moving into the city to commence evacuation, and the Helicarrier is getting in position.

"Ground team," Captain Hampton said. "Should you encounter the MUTO, under no circumstances are you to engage it until the Helicarrier is in position and civilians have been evacuated. I repeat: do NOT engage the MUTO."

"You sure this suppression field will work this time around, Fury?" Tony asked.

"It better," Clint said. "Two of the three of us will be sitting ducks out here if it don't."

"We're retrofitting the device with some replacement parts," Fury said. "The excess energy the suppression field produces wears down the synthetic vibranium parts quickly. Just find the MUTO and keep your distance."

"No promises," Tony said. "Rhodey, how's things on your end?" SHIELD and the military were in the process of evacuating the Waikiki district of Honolulu. Ships were taking them to the mainland, and the trams were packed transporting civilians to the Honolulu International Airport. Thor, Rhodey, and the Hulk were on the rooftop of one of the hotels standing before the ocean. Members of the Special Forces were being flown in via helicopters, lining the roofs of various buildings.

"We've got a long way to go," Rhodey said. "There's a lot of people still here. About a hundred thousand still left in the city. Boats and trams are packed to capacity over here." Both tourists and locals were waiting in front of the beach, with plenty of them relaxing. A dog was tied to a tree, digging in the sand. The stars twinkled against the dark cover of night, the calm and warm air complimented by the soft noise of the waves washing upon the shore. The civilians had been told of a hurricane making its way towards the island. It was a tough act to sell and involved a numerous amount of government espionage, but it quickly became the "official" story. None of them were aware of the real threat that lingered in the shadows. "Captain, are you keeping it together down there?"

"As best I can," Steve replied. He was in charge of escorting civilians on the tram to the airport. SHIELD placed him among them with the idea that an Avenger would make them feel more secure. Especially if that Avenger was Captain America. For the most part, it was panning out accordingly. "Alright, everyone! Take your seats. We're gonna get you all on a plane out of here. I'm here to keep things orderly and to make sure you all feel safe. Come on, everyone! Pile in!" A small Asian boy slowly walked up to Steve, staring up at him in awe. Steve looked down at him and smiled. "Hey, little buddy." He crouched down to his knees. "Where's your parents?" The boy looked back at his parents, who were talking with someone. The automatic doors ended up sliding closed, and the train began to take off. The parents chased after the train, their son knocking on the glass window in fear of leaving them. Tears began to build up in his eyes. "Hey, hey." Steve placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay. Don't be scared. Your parents will be coming to the airport next. We can wait on them there together. Alright?" The boy dried his eyes and calmed down.

"Y-yes, sir," he said softly. Steve smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Wanna hold my shield?" he asked. The boy had a wide smile on his face and nodded fiercely. Steve slid the shield off his back and let the boy hold it. "What's your name?"

"Aiko," the boy said, his happiness and awe restored. He held the shield in front of him, pretending to block shots like when he saw Captain America defending New York on television two years ago. Steve smiled and watched the boy play with the shield, making laser and punching noises.

* * *

The jungle team was approaching the target sight, unsure of what they would find. The cool breeze rustled the ferns leaves of the tropical canopy far above them. It was eerily quiet, more than any of them were used to. Natasha and Clint were used to quiet. When he had a target, Clint could lay motionless amongst the trees and rocks for hours on end. The sound of bugs and birds became very homey to him. The quietness usually stemmed from Natasha herself, keeping the cards played close to her chest at all times. Rarely speaking but always watching. But this was exceptionally quiet. No bugs, birds, frogs, or anything. Only the sound of wind, and even that came barely above a whisper. Even Tony, as talkative as he was, was rendered silent by the muteness of the world. He floated in the air, staring out at the mass of green obscured by the blackness of the sky. The jungle seemed to be otherworldly, so isolated, quiet, and untouched. Tony remembered small picture books he read as a kid, about the prehistoric lands of millennia past, when giants roamed the untamed wilderness. Man was not even a conceived notion to the world.

"Sir, I've detected radiation signals," JARVIS said, interrupting his thoughts. Tony jumped, snapped back to reality. "Due North." He shook his head and regained focus.

"Nice work, JARVIS," Tony said. He waved the ground forces along and drifted north. Tony followed the signal JARVIS had pinged on the radar, leading to a large clearing. Clint, Natasha, and the troops emerged from the foliage, greeted by a phenomenal sight. The Russian nuclear sub was, indeed, far inland. It was also torn open like a soup can, with the lights flickering dimly. No bodies could be seen around the crash site. A gangly figure rose over the wreckage, obscured by the shadows. The MUTO pulled a device out of the interior of the sub, sparks shooting out after it. With a few snaps, it swallowed it down and ducked back down inside to search for more.

"Sir, it appears to be feeding on the submarine's nuclear reactor," JARVIS said.

"Of course," Tony whispered to himself. "MUTO feeds on nuclear energy. Makes sense why it would pluck the sub out of the water." Clint, Natasha, and the soldiers were ducking behind the foliage, relying on the shadows and cover of night to hide them from the MUTO's sight. "Fury, we've found the MUTO. It's feeding on the sub's reactor."

"Copy that," Fury said from the Helicarrier. "Do not engage the MUTO until we are ready."

"When will you be ready?" Tony asked.

"Repairs are almost finished," Fury said. "Agent Hill, I need an ETA ASAP."

"Four minutes, sir," she said, looking over holographic projections of the repulsion machine.

"Four minutes, boys," Clint whispered, his arrow primed. "Just sit tight." The two SHIELD agents and the soldiers were still huddled in the bushes, watching the MUTO dig around inside the submarine.

"We're out of our league, man," one soldier said. "This is crazy."

"Keep it together, son," another soldier said. The one soldier was shaking like a leaf, clutching his gun tightly.

"They never taught us anything about fighting monsters," he said. "I didn't sign up for this."

"None of us did," Natasha whispered.

"Four minutes, and then we bring the hammer down," Clint said.

"No way, man," the soldier said. "We can't do this. We can't do this!" Another soldier placed his hand over the one soldier's mouth, silencing him. The MUTO glanced up briefly from the wreckage and then went back down into the scrap.

"What the hell is wrong with you, son?" the soldier asked. "You nearly gave us away."

"Are you seeing this?" he asked. "It's game over for us."

"You keep it together," he hissed. He let the one soldier go, who sat there in fear of the giant creature. His gun hugged his rifle tensely.

"No no no," he said silently. The one soldier sat in silence, his heart beating in his ears. He was new to the Special Forces, being much greener than his counterparts. The others were just as frightened as he was, but they kept their emotions chained deep within. For him, it was seeping out steadily and building. Leaking out farther and farther. His eyes twitched in his skull, from his fellow soldiers to the MUTO and then back again. The bottom of his feet began to feel hot and irritated inside his boots, his hands growing hot and sweaty from the anxiety he felt. His back and neck grew hot as well, the jungle air feeling like ice upon his face. His silent hyperventilating could not be heard above the MUTO's stomping and tearing. The silence in the jungle was broken by the click of a gun, followed by rapid gunfire. "RAAAAAAH!" The terrified soldier leapt from the ferns and began to unload his ammo onto the MUTO.

"We've been compromised!" the other soldier said. "All units! Engage!" Being peppered on its side caused the MUTO to turn and screech loudly at them.

"Do not engage that MUTO!" Fury said over the radio. "The suppression system is not yet finished."

"Sorry, Fury," Tony said, zipping around the MUTO. "But you better finish it quick. The MUTO doesn't seem like it's gonna wait." The ground forces began emptying their clips into the MUTO's torso. The rock hard carapace did not buckle under the barrage of bullets. With an annoyed hiss, the MUTO reared its forelimb back and swept through the trees. Many trees were uprooted and sent crashing down, with half of the Special Forces caught between them and the monster. Natasha fired several incendiary grenades at it but to no avail. Clint shot two arrows into its shoulder, both armed with explosives in the arrowheads. With a click of the device on his wrist, the arrows exploded. Chunks of bony carapace and dark blood burst from its shoulder. Enraged, it looked at Clint and prepared to snap at him but was interrupted when Tony rocketed into the side of its head. The impact sent him ricocheting off of the creature and wobbling through the air, kept aloft by the rockets. The MUTO had been caught off guard by the blow and staggered off to the side. It shook its head, trying to rid itself of the disorientation. The MUTO snarled at Tony and snapped at him, pinning him between the creature's mandibles. The HUD inside his helmet displayed significant structural damage being done to the midsection of the Iron Man suit. "JARVIS, all power to thrusters." The rockets in his boots kicked on full blast, sending a jet of burning hot flames down the MUTO's throat. With a pained guttural screech, the MUTO was forced to let him go. The creature vomited up blood from the burns inside its mouth and throat. Tony spun himself around and shot several energy blasts from his palms at the creature's head. Slowly, the MUTO turned to him, an angry snarl visible on its face. With a mighty screech, it reared its forelimb back and slammed it into the ground. A burst of energy leapt from its body and engulfed the lot of them. Tony fell to the ground with a loud thud. Clint's bow was rendered inoperable, and communications with the Helicarrier were cut off. Tony managed to lift himself up, his body a bit pained by the MUTO's bite. He looked up to see the MUTO lift its forelimbs high over its head and then bring them swiftly into the wreckage of the submarine.

An enormous burst of orange fire erupted from the wreckage of the submarine, with the heat setting fire to some of the forest. Smoke billowed out over the area, obscuring any and all sight. Clint and Natasha held their arms in front of their mouths. Tony rose to his feet, knocked clean to the ground from the explosion. All the electronic systems in his suit were completely inoperable. He could see nothing through the smoke caused by the sub. Tony heard the rustling of bushes and saw Clint emerge from the smoke. He reached out for him and helped him up.

"Come on, pal!" he said, covering his mouth. Tony squinted and peered through the thick and black smoke, looking for the MUTO and the others.

"Over here"! Natasha shouted. Clint and Tony ran over to her. The surviving soldiers escaped the smoke and stood by the outskirts of the clearing.

"Target lost!" a soldier shouted, looking all around for the MUTO. It was nowhere to be found. "Target has disappeared!"

"How do you lose a giant bug?" Tony asked.

"Where the hell could it have possibly gone?" Clint asked.

* * *

The power in the Waikiki area switched off in the blink of an eye, the entire city rendered black in an instant. Thor, the Hulk, and Rhodey stood on the rooftop, confused.

"Fury, what happened?" Rhodey asked.

"The MUTO shot off its EMP," Fury explained. "One of our boys engaged the MUTO and riled it up. Stark, Romanoff, and Barton are dark on their end and ours."

"Why are we still good on our end?" Rhodey asked.

"It was a weaker EMP blast than what we're used to," Fury said. "No Tesseract means it's not as powerful."

"The EMP hit the power plant on the outskirts of the city," Coulson said, pulling up a holographic map of the island on Rhodey's HUD. Waves were echoing from Tony's last location, passing through the power plant. The waves did not extend incredibly far, not even touching the city.

"Tony could be in trouble," Rhodey said.

"Indeed," Thor said. "We should assist him."

"Negative," Fury said. "You three are to stay in the city if the MUTO decides to visit."

"But Tony could be in danger!" Rhodey said.

"We'll all be in danger if that MUTO gets in the city," Fury said. "Agent Hill, where is that suppression device at?" Agent Hill was tracking progress being made on the device from a holographic interface. It was giving the green light.

"Suppression field IS ready, sir!" Agent Hill said. A large signal erupted on screen from Tony's location. Thor, the Hulk, and Rhodey looked towards the north, seeing a huge ball of fire erupt from the jungle.

"What the hell!" Rhodey said. "Sir, did you catch that?"

"We did," Fury said. "Large explosion."

"That could be Tony!" Rhodey said.

"Sir, I must request that we do come to his aid!" Thor pleaded.

"Negative," Fury stated adamantly. "You three are to stick with the city until ordered otherwise. Agent Hill, fire that field up!"

"Yes, sir!" she replied.

* * *

Back on the tram, the passengers, Steve, and Aiko were sitting quietly. Aiko, while still missing his parents, felt quite safe sitting next to Captain America. Steve, for the first time in nearly forever, felt very relaxed and at ease. They were nearly halfway to the Honolulu International Airport, and they would all be safely unloaded and sent to the nearest airplane, which would fly them off the island and to the mainland. The tram slowed to a halt, and the lights went out. The passengers inside ascended into an uproar of concern.

"Hey, what is this?" a male passenger asked.

"What's going on? What just happened?" a middle aged woman asked.

"Not cool!" a teenage girl said. Steve rose to his feet and took the center of the tram.

"Everyone, relax!" he ordered. "It's just a power outage. They happen all the time. The wave activity around the power plant has been bad and causing disruptions. As we speak, damage is already being repaired. Just relax, and we'll all be fine."

"Will we be safe up here?" a middle aged woman asked.

"We're hanging several feet off the ground in a steel box," an old man said. "Will this hold us?"

"Trust me," Steve said, holding up his hand. "We'll be fine. These things were designed for these scenarios. And the other Avengers are not far off in the event of an emergency. Everyone just please relax and sit down." The uproar had quieted down, and the passengers got comfortable in their seats. With a sigh of relief, Steve sat down next to Aiko. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Aiko said, clutching the shield tightly to his body. "I'm fine. You said we'll be okay. I believe you. I know you'll protect us." Steve smiled and turned away to look out the window, the airport they were close to reaching was as dark as the rest of the island. He spoke as quietly as he could into his radio.

"Fury, what is happening?" he whispered.

"MUTO released an EMP," Fury said. "How is crowd control on your end?"

"Everything's fine," he said. "I've calmed everyone down. Sir, what about the MUTO?"

"Keep things good on your end," Fury said. "I've got men hitting the power plant as we speak. Backup generators should kick on any moment now." As if on cue, the lights on the tram kicked on. The passengers all made declarations of relief. Steve leaned back in his seat and looked out the window behind him. The inviting light of the airport had returned, looking like a lighthouse in a dark stormy gale. The runways began to light up individually until a field of light appeared in the dark. A scream rang out from inside the tram when one of the runways lit up to reveal the MUTO standing on it, towering over everything on the horizon. It was surprised by the sudden resurgence of light, having slunk away from the dark of the jungle. Steve snatched his shield from Aiko and clutched it tight.

"Fury, the MUTO is converging on my tram!" he shouted into the radio. "I've got civilians in here! I need backup immediately!" The MUTO turned its head and caught sight of the small tram approaching it. It chirped curiously and approached it.

* * *

"MUTO has been spotted approaching Honolulu International Airport," a voice said over the radio. Naval cruisers had converged on Waikiki in the event the MUTO attempted to escape. The SHIELD Helicarrier was positioned over Waikiki, the suppression generator at full capacity. If the MUTO tried another EMP blast, all tech within the field would be kept functional.

"Fury, the MUTO is converging on my tram!" Steve said over the radio. "I've got civilians in here! I need backup immediately!"

"Stark, you wanted to play hardball with the MUTO," Fury said. "Well, now's your chance. Make your way over to Rogers double time."

"Rock and roll," Tony said in the radio. "Send a transport for Barton and Natasha."

"Already inbound," Fury said. Fury, Agent Hill, and Coulson all stood before a huge holographic display of the city. Thor, the Hulk, and Rhodey had the city secured. Steve and the MUTO were at the Honolulu International Airport with Tony, Clint, and Natasha inbound. Eight markers on the holographic map. With the suppression field in operation, Fury could finally pit the Avengers against the MUTO on an even playing field. With the MUTO out of the city, casualties can be greatly reduced. The plan was coming together before their eyes.

Just then, a ninth marker appeared on the map. An incredibly large marker giving off high energy signals. It was coming from the ocean, towards the beach. The three of them looked at it in confusion.

"Agent Hill?" Fury asked. She ran her fingers over the holographic displays, searching for answers.

"It's not one of ours," she said. "We don't have anything that size, save for the Helicarrier. And there have been no orders to send anything out of that magnitude." Fury narrowed his good eye at the display. He pressed a button on the interface.

"Stark, you have friends coming?" he asked.

"You mean aside from Rhodey and my Avenger pals?" he asked, the rush of engines heard in the background.

"Correct," Fury said.

"If I did, they picked a hell of a time to show up," Tony replied. Fury didn't seem satisfied with that answer.

"Thor, have any of your Asgardian friends made their way here?" he asked.

"Aside from Loki?" he asked.

"That's correct," was the reply.

"No one else," Thor said. "I brought no other Asgardians with me. They all remain home." Fury was growing troubled and just when it seemed the plan was going smoothly. It obviously couldn't be Steve, Bruce, Rhodey, or the two SHIELD agents. And it certainly wasn't one of theirs.

"Could it be Loki, sir?" Coulson asked.

"I don't think so," Fury said. "The Tesseract is powerful, but this is something else entirely."

"Plus, it's much too large," Agent Hill said. Fury pressed the interface again.

"Captain Hampton, are any other vessels making their way here?" he asked.

"Negative, sir," Captain Hampton replied. "Everything here is all that can be spared." Fury stood in silence, staring at the approaching ninth marker. The air was tense around him.

"Sir?" Agent Hill asked.

"We got ourselves a bogey," was his reply.

* * *

Alarms were blaring aboard the USS Saratoga, a specially armed supercarrier drifting in the ocean before the island. Soldiers armed with guns were running up and down the decks and hallways, the tense of urgency imminent. Doctor Serizawa and Professor Vivienne Graham were on the command deck, watching the action take place. The interface on the bridge's command table showed a map of Waikiki and the strategy plans at work. Eight markers could be seen on the map: Steve, Bruce, Thor, the Hulk, Rhodey, Tony, Clint, Natasha, and the MUTO. Fast approaching the beach and the supercarrier was a mysterious ninth marker. No identification on the interface. It was enormous, and the energy signal it gave out was abnormally large. Serizawa studied the map in confusion, unsure of what to make of it. His eyes then widened after his revelation.

"Sensei?" Vivienne asked. He turned slowly to her.

"It's him," he whispered. She suppressed a shocked gasp, knowing full and well who he meant.

"A-are you sure?" she asked nervously. He looked from her and to the map and back again.

"It's the only explanation," he said.

"Wh-what do we do?" she asked.

"Warn the others." Serizawa ran out of the door and began sprinting for the deck. Vivienne was hot on his tail, excited and nervous to see if Serizawa's theory was true. The two scientists emerged onto the outer deck of the supercarrier, illuminated by lights. Jets sat on the runway, and soldiers were darting to and fro across it. Captain Hampton could be seen on deck.

"Come on, soldiers!" he barked. "Get those spotlights on! I want choppers in the air!" Two helicopters began to take off, ascending high over the supercarrier. A soldier tapped Captain Hampton on the shoulder, who turned to find Serizawa and Vivienne standing before him. "Doctors." Serizawa bowed, and Vivienne nodded.

"Sir, do you know of the enormous anomaly headed for the beach?" Vivienne asked.

"All I know is that it's coming and fast," he replied. "I don't suppose you have any idea of what it could be."

"We actually do," Vivienne said.

"Let me guess," Captain Hampton said. "Your alpha predator?" Serizawa nodded. He merely sighed. "You think it's coming to hunt this MUTO?"

"Exactly," Serizawa said.

"Sir, unknown target headed right for us!" a soldier shouted from a watchtower. Serizawa snatched the binoculars around Captain Hampton's neck and peered through them. Several dozen yards before them was enormous amounts of splashing water, white foam billowing out of the sea. He saw a large obsidian colored triangular fin with jagged shaping rise from the water. His breath was caught in his chest. To its right were two more, distanced equally apart from one another. Three large jagged fins were inbound for the island. Tentatively, he handed the binoculars to Vivienne. She peered through them and let out a soft slow gasp.

"Oh my God," she whispered. She handed them to Captain Hampton. He took one glance through the binoculars and dropped them on the ground. His dark face turned lighter, as though he bore witness to a ghost.

"All hands on deck!" he shouted. "Brace for impact! Unknown target closing in on us!" The alarms picked up in volume, and every soldier on deck was doing all they could to make sure everything was secure. Rising higher from the ocean were the fins. It was a daunting sight, like enormous sharks were headed for them. "Doctor, something that size could tear right through our hull!" As quickly as they rose, they sank back into the sea. The helicopter pilots in the air shined their spotlights on the ocean and were greeted by a sight that nearly stopped their hearts. In the light, a large scaly reptilian mass could be seen drifting through the dark waters. It passed directly under the supercarrier, the only sound to be heard being a deep rumbling from below. It was deeper than a whale call and nowhere near as tranquil sounding. The crew raced from one side of the carrier to the other, watching the waves break from the other side. The large triangular fins cut through the water's surface, foam and spray leaping through the air. Behind the large fins were smaller ones, leaving a row that went down an obsidian colored mass of thick scales. The waves rocked two smaller boats, threatening to capsize them, as the three rows of fins slowly encroached upon the shore.

* * *

The commotion had finally begun to settle down along the beachfront area, the power outrage having startled and frightened the civilians. The large ball of fire that exploded in the jungle did little to calm them, but after the power returned, everyone seemed to have calmed themselves. Although the sense of fear had dispersed, there was still lingering traces of agitation and annoyance in the air. Evacuation had skidded to a halt, with the military stating that the trams were undergoing technical difficulties. Sea transport had also been halted, with the storm out at sea giving the ships navigational difficulties. No explain was given as to the nature of these said difficulties, only that the civilians were to stay put. Plenty of them had returned to partying on the beach, drinking and dancing. The dog tied to a tree continued to play in the sand, unaware that anything had happened. The flames of the tiki torches still danced with great energy, casting a soft warm glow on the beach. A little girl was watching her parents dance together. She had long hair, a yellow shirt, and blue shorts. A lei hung from her neck, crafted from beautiful pink flowers. It made her laugh to see her parents being so silly. The soft rushing of the waves behind her was very soothing. It was a sound she had always loved, almost as much as the ocean itself. Other adults besides her parents were there, both older and younger. Many of them laughed and were loud with enjoyment. She didn't mind the loudness as long as she had the sound of the ocean to comfort her. Two young teenagers were being extra loud, and this annoyed her greatly. All she could do was stand there and wait for them to quiet down so she could hear the ocean again. Eventually, they did, but the ocean could not be heard. The little girl turned around and was surprised to see the ocean draining from the beach. The water was draining farther and farther back into the ocean, out past the pier. Many unfortunate fish were left behind by the water and were flopping helplessly on the sand. The girl had never seen such a sight before. She walked closer to the wet sand, wanting to see if she could perhaps follow the water.

"Daddy!" she called, wanting her father to see it.

"Oh my God," he said, having turned to see his daughter. Many others caught the spectacle, and fear was beginning to rise once again. Her father was a middle aged man with short hair, a teal shirt with a matching lei, and dark shorts. "Zoey!" He ran to her and picked her up in his arms, holding her tight. He slowly backed away from the beach and towards the crowd, who stared in awe at the retreating ocean. Fear gripped them when they saw a wave begin to swell up way farther back in the ocean. "Run! RUN!" The father gripped Zoey and began to run with the crowd, driven into a panic. Sirens were going off in the city, which caused even more panic. Dozens of civilians were running down the street, as far away from the beach as their feet could carry them. Some got into their cars and began to speed down the road, determined to reach higher land farther inland. Others took to the safety of the buildings, climbing the stairs and taking the elevators to the rooftops. The dog tugged at its leash until it finally snapped and began running after the humans. Thor, Rhodey, and the Hulk stood on the rooftop, watching the enormous wave swell up and begin to race for the island.

"Fury," Rhodey said. "We've got a huge wave inbound for the city! We need a plan! Otherwise, we're gonna have heavy casualties."

"Discard Fury!" Thor spat. "We will protect these people with or without his aid!" He gripped Mjolnir and gritted his teeth.

"We need a plan," Rhodey said. "Thor, you and I will rescue as many civilians as we can. Hulk, you gotta keep that water from washing away the street."

"How do you propose he does that?" Thor asked. The Hulk looked over at a building beside theirs and saw an enormous billboard sign at the top of the roof. The green brute leapt from their building to that one with a thud as his feet made impact with the roof. He ripped the billboard and slung it over his shoulder. Thor gave him a nod of approval. "Nice." The Hulk merely grinned and leapt down towards the street, sprinting to the end where the buildings stopped. A huge wave began to rush towards the city, threatening to wash away the entire island. The Hulk roared in defiance and slammed the billboard down before him. He pressed his entire green mass against the billboard, holding it firmly in place as the huge torrent of water slammed into it. Water splashed over the top of the billboard, rushing into the streets and washing over the Hulk. Determined to hold the line, he dug his enormous green feet into the concrete and pushed back with all his might. Thor, Rhodey, and several rescue helicopters began airlifting people off the streets and onto the rooftops. Thor had many hanging onto his arms and torso, delivering them to the roof. Rhodey was doing his best to keep up with Thor's count. Plenty of civilians were cleared off the streets, but many more were still escaping.

The billboard began to groan under the weight of the water, with some tearing holes through it. The Hulk had his jaw locked and strained his muscles to hold it in place. Sweat gushed from his body like the spray from the wave. His feet began to drag through the concrete, cutting thick grooves through the hardened material. His breathing was course and heavy as he poured all of his strength into keeping the billboard standing. More water leaked over the top and through tears, soaking the Hulk. He skidded back a bit, the weight of the water gaining ground. Farther back. Farther. The billboard was groaning loudly now, threatening to give way. The Hulk was pushed back farther and farther, finding himself less and less able to hold the billboard in place. With one last push, he stepped forward and was ultimately knocked down by the wall of water. With the billboard no longer obstructing its flow, the wave was free to wash through the city and take out anything and everything in its path. The father and his daughter Zoey had made it to the safety of the rooftop and stared in horror as the mass of water flowed through the city, smashing into buildings, vehicles, and any unfortunate civilian that was unable to make it to safety. Zoey hugged her father tightly, afraid of the rushing water down below. The light from the buildings made the water raging below glow. They began to shutter and then disappeared, the entire city returning to darkness. Rhodey and Thor placed more civilians on the safety of the rooftops. They had managed to save as many as they could, but many innocents were swept in the waters. The two of them felt the Grand Hotel they were standing on top of shake slightly. On the side of the building was the Hulk, carrying a dozen civilians with him. He slung himself over the wall and onto the roof, giving the civilians time to climb off of him. The green giant sat on the ground, completely exhausted from the battering. Thor walked over to him and helped him to his feet. The Hulk merely nodded.

Gunshots rang through the air. Thor, Rhodey, and the Hulk turned to see several flares flying through the air in an arch, having been launched by the soldiers with them on the roof. They drifted through the air like ghosts, glowing dimly in the darkened city. They passed through the air, floating along aimlessly. As they descended to the perilous waters below, they passed before an enormous obsidian and scaly mass. A deep rumbling sound resonated through the air. Civilians on the various rooftops gazed up at the large hulking mass that towered high over their buildings walking through the city.

"Open fire!" a soldier shouted. The Special Forces units on the rooftops began firing at the large mass. The civilians on the rooftops cried out in fear and crouched down low. They emptied their clips to the last bullet before lowering their guns. Dozens of bullets peppered the enormous obsidian mass, and there was no sign of damage to be seen. Thor, Rhodey, and the Hulk stared in awe at it as it passed them, completely oblivious to their presence. Rhodey stepped forward and primed the enormous ballistic cannon on his back. Several rockets launched from it and crashed into the obsidian mass trudging along before them but met the same fate the bullets did. They all stood in disbelief as the giant mass, without any recognition of their existence, turned left and disappeared behind a building, its tail whipping in the wind.

"That was my best weapon," Rhodey said. "And it did nothing."

"That thing is headed for the others," Thor said. "We have to warn them." Spinning his hammer, he leapt through the air and began flying towards the airport. Rhodey rocketed off after him, with the Hulk sprinting along on foot.

* * *

The passengers trapped within the tram were shouting in terror as the MUTO approached them. Steve stood at the front, holding onto his vibranium shield. Inside, he had no idea what he could do to fend it off. He was just one guy, with no true weapons. Gunshots rang out through the air, as two helicopters flew past the tram and unloaded onto the MUTO.

"Everybody get down!" Steve shouted, waving them down. The passengers crouched down low to the floor, fearing for their lives. The MUTO ignored the choppers and approached the tram. It lowered its head and peered inside, mandibles flared. Drool was hanging inside its mouth like cobwebs. With incredible speed, it lunged forward and bit through half the tram. The resulting force caused the tram to tilt downwards, pulling the passengers onboard with it. Steve slammed his shield into the metal as hard as he could. It cut through the metal, and he held onto the handles to prevent falling. Aiko let out a frightened cry as he began to slide downwards. Steve caught him and propped him on top of his shield. The tram tilted further down, dangling from the railings at a solid 90 degree angle. Some passengers were holding onto the benches and railings, but others were not so lucky. A middle aged man, a hefty woman, and an Asian man found themselves falling out of the tram and towards the fiery wreckage of the other half of the tram below. Before they could meet their bitter end, Tony swooped in and caught the two men. Thor had been right on his heels and caught the hefty woman in his arms. The MUTO was being lured away from the tram by the two attack helicopters, its screeches filling the tropical air. Two SHIELD transports rose in front of the tram, one of them containing Clint and Natasha. Their transport would provide covering fire for the other one, which would airlift the passengers aboard the tram to safety. Thor and Tony dropped off the people they rescued onto the transport. Thor flew under the tram and held it at an angle, allowing the passengers to walk to the back opening of the transport. They slowly but steadily made their way inside, and the doors to the transport shut behind them. Steve ripped his shield from the metal and slid it on his back.

"Going down?" Tony asked.

"Preferably," Steve replied. Tony wrapped his arm around Steve and floated down to the ground. The two stood side by side along the runway as the MUTO stomped about. The last civilian, Aiko, entered the transport, and the doors shut behind him.

"Civilians have been rescued," Clint said into the radio.

"Excellent work, Barton," Fury replied. "Make your way back to the Saratoga and deliver your payload. Then, turn back to the city and repeat."

"Copy that," Clint said. He had an arrow trained on the MUTO, which was too busy swatting at the helicopters like flies to take notice of them. The two SHIELD transports flew away from the airport and back towards the flooded city. Thor threw the tram to the ground, seeing it explode upon impact. Tony looked at Steve and Thor.

"Clint and Natasha are headed back to the city," he said. "We're missing two."

"Negative on that," Rhodey said over the radio. He could be seen flying over the tram rail towards them, with the Hulk smashing through trees to get to them. The green giant skidded to a halt before them, his thick heels cutting through some of the concrete.

"The gang's all here," Tony said. "Mostly."

"How sweet of you to remember us," Natasha said over the radio.

"How could I forget?" Tony asked.

"Tony, listen," Rhodey said sternly. "We've got a problem. A big one." Tony glanced back at the MUTO and then to him.

"You act like this is news to me," he said.

"No," Rhodey said. "A bigger one." Tony raised his eyebrows, giving Rhodey a look of disbelief.

"Bigger than that?" he asked, pointing his thumb at the MUTO.

"He speaks the truth, Stark," Thor said. Steve's face looked grave.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Is it Loki? Thanos?"

"Nothing like them," Thor said. "Nothing like anything I had ever seen."

"It's big, and it just flooded half the city," Rhodey said.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"We're not sure," Thor answered. "But I believe this may be Doctor Serizawa's lost monster."

"That Goji thing?" Tony asked. Thor nodded. A fierce cry from the MUTO interrupted their conversation. It swiped its forelimb into a helicopter, clipping the side of it. The chopper began to spin wildly out of control, torpedoing towards the ground. It slammed into an airplane, causing the enormous aerial vehicle to explode. The enormous explosion sent pieces flying into other airplanes, causing them to explode. The entire airstrip lit up like a detonated minefield. The Avengers on the scene made their way to the center of the airstrip, ready for a rematch with the MUTO. The darkness of the night was replaced by a glow of orange fire that rose high into the air, the airplanes exploding like fireworks. "Fury, that suppression ready to take a beating?"

"Just as long as you are," he replied. The Hulk slammed his fists on the ground, shattering the concrete. Mjolnir crackled with lightning in Thor's hand. Steve held his shield before him, the star in the center shining brightly. Tony and Rhodey primed their weapons, JARVIS scanning the MUTO for any weak parts on its body.

The civilians that were in the airport were cowering in fear and screaming at the sight of the MUTO and the burning airstrip. To them, it was the end of the world. Their screams were quickly silenced as an enormous leg stomped in front of the large window with a deafening thud. The thud caught the attention of both the Avengers and the MUTO. The MUTO turned to investigate the source and staggered back, startled at the sight before it. It spread its wings as far as it could and let out a vicious gargling roar, the sounds of anger and fear heard within it.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_"

The team was rendered silent by the sight before them.

"There it is," Thor whispered. The enormous beast before them was a daunting sight. Even the Hulk felt intimidated.

"JARVIS," Tony whispered. "What is that?" The AI began combing through the database, searching staggering numbers of records for any sort of match for what this animal was. The results came back.

"Unknown entity, sir."

The burning clouds from the airplanes drifted in the air, behind the enormous creature. Casting it in a demonic glow.

Two thick elephant like legs held the torso up, the right foot stepping on an airplane and causing it to explode. Four sharp obsidian toes pointed from its feet. A tail as thick as a battlecruiser whipped behind it, fanning the smoke around it. Three pairs of jagged triangular fins ran from half of its tail to the back of its neck, shrinking and then growing in height at the body's center and shrinking back down at the neck again. A rotund torso sat before the tail and legs, muscular scales that resembled human abs lining its stomach. They were a lighter gray from the rest of the obsidian colored body. Muscular arms hung from its body, reaching down to its hips. The hands hung open, the sharp claws sitting at the ends of its fingers. A meaty neck held a small box-like head up. Small gill like fixtures sat on the sides of its neck. The bony brow of the creature hung down, a look of primordial anger on its ace. The yellow eyes burned like atomic blasts. Sharp white teeth were revealed inside the creatures mouth, showing a sneer of anger.

It stood before the Avengers and the MUTO like a mountain, its back straightened and looking incredibly tall. Taller than any building on the island. Civilians inside the airport looked up at the creature as if it were a demon come to destroy them. Fury, Agent Hill, and Coulson stared in shock and disbelief at the creature on the airstrip.

None of them said a word. The Avengers were silent, even Tony. Even if JARVIS couldn't identify it, he knew good and well what it was. They all knew.

The alpha predator. Top of the primordial ecosystem. A god. A monster. A leviathan. A behemoth.

Any label they stuck on it didn't compare.

The name that none of them could bring themselves to say, still rendered speechless in shock and disbelief. In the back of their minds, they all uttered that word.

GODZILLA.

"SHKREEEEEEEE-Oooonghhhhh…."

**Author's Note: Hey, guys. Sorry for the delay on this one. I know you guys are used to me cranking out these chapters in a day of each other, and this one took about a week to put on here. I apologize for that. I'm glad you guys are really invested in the story and want to read more, and I thank you for your patience. This is honestly the longest chapter for a fanfiction I have ever written. It's the moment you've all been waiting for, and I hope it was to your liking. As for why, it took so long, that's a bit of a situation. You see, I kind of found myself burnt out from writing this. Don't get me wrong. I love writing this, but you can only work on something for so long before you need a break from it. I found myself losing motivation, which is a problem I have with my other fanfictions (which will eventually get finished, if you read those as well). I've been watching The Avengers and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stay motivated, but there's only so many times you can watch the Avengers movie before it burns you out. If Godzilla 2014 were on DVD, it would be easier to stay motivated. Alas, I must make do for now. Also, I'm not exactly sure how the quality of my writing is. I know I'm not good at action scenes, but I am very good at character dialogue and exposition. I felt as though my writings here are a bit of a dip from my Jurassic Park fanfiction (which I consider my magnum opus). If anybody reading this wishes to critique my writing skills and give me some pointers for improvement, please provide it. By all means. I always strive to improve my craft as best I can. Just remember the difference between criticism and being a dick, alright? **

**Anyway, sorry for the wall of bold text. I hope this was worth the wait. As for when the next chapter will be up, I can't say. I really work on a "whenever I feel like" schedule. It all depends on how motivated I feel on the subject. Sorry for the uncertainty,but it's the best I can provide.**


	10. Honolulu Rumble

The force was indescribable. Like watching the Titans duel on the peak of Mount Olympus. The Leviathan and Behemoth dueling amongst the shattered crust and smashing waves. The Earth and Moon colliding, reducing all to dust. No one metaphor seemed to deem the sight justice. It was something that had to be witnessed to truly know.

Godzilla slammed its mighty fist into the side of the MUTO's head, sending it reeling through the air. It skidded through the airstrip, kicking up clouds of dust and chunks of concrete and asphalt. The planes exploded upon impact, the gasoline burning and glowing like fireworks. With a snarl, the MUTO bolted to its feet and charged its opponent. Godzilla slammed its shoulder into the oncoming MUTO, sending it to the ground once more. The giant reptile staggered but remained on its feet. Determined to take down its competition, Godzilla ripped a large tower from its base and hurled it at the MUTO. It exploded in a cloud of dust and rock, missing the MUTO but keeping it off its feet for a little longer. The panicked civilians inside the airport screamed as the windows shattered and debris fell upon them. The Avengers watched the sight in horror and shock.

"That thing's gonna cause as much damage as the MUTO!" Steve shouted.

"We've gotta lure it away from the civilians," Rhodey said.

"Right," Tony said. "And how do we do that?" They watched the MUTO kick at Godzilla while it fluttered around. Thor spun Mjolnir in his hand and gripped the handle tightly.

"We fight," he grunted. The Hulk huffed in agreement. Electricity crackled in Thor's hammer.

"Hold on, big guy," Steve said. "We need a plan of attack before we engage these guys."

"I have a plan," Thor said. "Attack."

"Um, my joke?" Tony said. Thor leapt through the air, Mjolnir pointed at the two monsters. The Hulk charged after him, kicking up bits of concrete with every stomp. Tony flew past Steve after the others. "Rhodey. Let's move." He was already hot on Tony's heels after the two beasts.

"Natasha, I need pickup," Steve said, figuring his odds would be better behind a gun rather than just a shield.

"Copy that," she replied. Godzilla and the MUTO were snapping at each other, the scaly hand wrapped firmly around the plated neck. A sharp pain in the side of its head sent the giant reptile staggering back. The MUTO cried out as it felt its wings singed by intense heat. Tony and Rhodey peppered the wing membrane with missiles and bullets while Mjolnir made contact with Godzilla's cheek. The giant beasts felt their anger now being directed to the small nuisances hovering around them like gnats. Godzilla reared its mighty arm back and swatted at Tony and Rhodey. The MUTO leapt upon its back and clawed at the softer flesh between the hard dorsal plates. The mighty beast roared in irritation, its arms too short to pull the MUTO off of it. Godzilla turned its enormous bulk to snatch at the creature on its back. The MUTO leaned its body to the side to avoid its adversary's mighty grip, flapping its wings to stay balanced. A missile in the side of its face got the MUTO's attention. The SHIELD transport Natasha was piloting whizzed past the giant creature. Steve was loading another rocket into the launcher, with Clint priming an explosive arrow. With a gargly snarl, the MUTO swiped at the transport over Godzilla's shoulder. The giant reptile wrapped its thick fingers around its skinny forelimb and pulled it over its shoulder, slamming it into the ground. The MUTO let out a creaky moan, struggling to rise from the cracked pavement. Godzilla howled and raised its leg to stomp on its fellow living fossil when a powerful force slammed into its nose. Mjolnir, after colliding with Godzilla's snout, returned to Thor's grasp. Godzilla fell onto its back, sending car sized chunks of concrete through the air. The MUTO scuttled down the runway from Godzilla only to be intercepted by the Hulk, who dug his green fingers under a groove in its carapace and began pulling. The sharp edge of the carapace dug into the MUTO's soft flesh underneath, causing it to hiss in pain. Tony and Rhodey peppered Godzilla's face with gunfire as it rose to its feet. The giant grabbed a handful of concrete and threw it at them. Tony narrowly avoided taking a hit, but Rhodey was less fortunate. A chunk the size of the Hulk hit him with full force, crashing him into the ground.

The MUTO had managed to get airborne and was now flying for the city. Huffing loudly, Godzilla jogged after it, determined to kill the competition. The flying monster made a sharp u-turn around a large building and swung into Godzilla's right side. It used the pointed ends of its forelimbs to stab into Godzilla's neck. The giant reptile responded by biting into the MUTO's leg, threatening to rip it from its own body.

The crew of the Helicarrier was scrambling wildly to find some way to assist the Avengers.

"Agent Hill, are we able to open fire on the monsters?" Fury shouted.

"Negative, sir!" she replied. "Not without putting civvies and our own boys in danger." Fury clenched his fist.

"Hear that, Captain?" he asked over the radio. "We're sitting ducks up here."

"That suppression field still kicking?" Steve asked.

"Correct," Fury replied. "You're safe from any EMPs. But we need you to get the monsters out of there."

"Yeah? Tell us something we don't know!" Tony said. Rhodey launched a missile into the MUTO's mouth, which detonated and spilled plenty of blood. The creature began to chase Rhodey and snap him in half. Thor leapt onto Godzilla's head and began slamming Mjolnir into it. Godzilla grabbed at Thor, but the Asgardian drifted out of its reach. The mighty reptile bit his cape and pulled on it, sending Thor flying through the air like a ragdoll. The Hulk climbed its flesh like the side of a mountain, punching randomly at any spot for some weakness. Godzilla slapped him like a mosquito, causing the big green giant to fall to the ground. A missile flew into the reptile's eye and detonated, temporarily blinding the beast. Holding its eye with one hand and swatting at the air with another, Godzilla's claw managed to clip the SHIELD transport. Natasha kept the vehicle as steady as she could, but the flying transport ultimately crashed. "Cap!" Tony heard coughing over the radio, so they were at least alive.

"There's a fire in here!" Steve shouted. His words were partially obscured by the sound of alarms blaring over the radio.

"The emergency release is jammed!" Natasha yelled. "We need these doors open!" Tony flew towards the downed transport and reached his armored fingers in between a shear in the metal, pulling at it with all his might. He heard the sound of rockets cutting off and saw Rhodey pulling on the opposite door to him. A huge green mass of flesh obscured his view of his good friend. The Hulk had punched clean through the metal door and ripped it right off the transport, throwing it into a pile of rubble beside them. Smoke billowed out of the opening, with Steve, Clint, and Natasha materializing through it. The three of them took in the clean air of the outside.

"Thanks, Stark," Steve said.

"Don't be so quick to thank me," Tony said as he patted his star spangled friend on the shoulder, remembering how he set him on the path to watching The Phantom Menace. A loud booming rumble interrupted their conversation, and a thick shadow fell over them. Loud thuds shook the ground, and the Avengers turned to see Godzilla standing over them. An angry sneer lined his face, his yellow eyes piercing through them.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_"

Godzilla turned to confront the noise and saw the MUTO flying for the open ocean. The MUTO knew it could not confront its enemy directly and felt escape was the best option. Godzilla howled in anger, finding itself angrier at the MUTO than the little humans that attacked it. They were soon completely forgotten to the large reptile, as it turned and hustled for the ocean. Enormous waves leapt from the ocean as Godzilla descended into the dark ocean, determined to chase its competition down and kill it. The creature's dark dorsal plates could scarcely be seen silhouetted against the night sky. The USS Saratoga and the other navy ships were turning around to follow Godzilla and the MUTO. The Avengers stood there, staring in disbelief at the shrinking silhouettes of the two monsters disappear along the horizon. It was one thing to watch two monsters fight, but to fight two monsters was something else entirely.

"Avengers, return to the Helicarrier," Fury said on the radio. "We need to be ready for another fight."

"Sir, what about Honolulu?" Steve asked. "There are still thousands of civilians trapped here."

"SHIELD's got agents in charge of search, rescue, and evac," Fury responded. "We need the Avengers to do the fighting right now. Not the rescuing. We've got two monsters making their way for the American West, and we need as much defense as possible right now." Steve sighed slowly after a minute of silence.

"Understood." The last thing he wanted was to leave behind any trapped or injured civilians. This wasn't what he was trained for. But Fury had a point: the Avengers were the best defense against the giant monsters, and they needed to be on point. "Send in a transport." Fury pressed a button on the command module, signaling for a transport to be sent. United States and SHIELD forces were swarming the city to put out the fires and to save all those that could be saved.

"This is bad, Agent Hill," he said. "Very bad."

"I'm running the numbers as we speak, sir," she said. "There are thousands predicted to be dead, and the damage to the city alone is clocking in at several million-"

"It's worse than just numbers, Agent Hill," Fury interrupted. "One of the reasons the Cold War ended was because the United States had claimed it had killed Godzilla. Obviously, that's no longer true. Now that the world knows these things are real, the Cold War may heat up again."

"Relations between the US and Russia have been shaky for years now," Coulson said. "With the US's major power play no longer viable, things could get ugly real fast."

* * *

The meeting room was buzzing with both Americans and Russians chattering amongst each other, curious as to what was happening. The Russian President demanded a meeting with the United States President, curious as to the fate of his nuclear submarine. Tension was high between the two countries, with the submarine's disappearance and its unauthorized entrance into US waters. Admiral Stenz had been personally investigating the matter and was personally summoned by the president to help quell the tension with Russia on the matter. Things were still heated, regardless. The two presidents were going back and forth, grilling each other for answers but nobody would say anything.

"This is quite curious. My submarine disappears in your country's waters, yet you deny you had anything to do with it. What am I to make of this?"

"You assume that we would have attacked your submarine on sight without contacting you. You don't know us as well as you think."

"I've seen your track record over in the Middle East. Might I just say-" Their thoughts were interrupted when their agents whispered into their ears. Their faces went white, and the talks completely stopped. Curious murmurs rose from the crowd, curious as to what was said. A TV was turned on, showing a visibly shaken man with grey hair in a suit. The caption under him read "Colossal Fossil Faceoff in Honolulu".

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Steve Martin reporting to you live from Honolulu," he said. "I can hardly describe what it is we have just witnessed here, but it is unlike anything I have ever seen before in my entire life. What any of us have ever seen before. This footage you are going to witness is not doctored or altered in any way. It is not a hoax or anything of the sort. What we are witnessing is 100% real." The footage that came next made everyone's blood run cold. Two giant creatures were fighting, with the city ablaze behind them. Admiral Stenz recognized the MUTO immediately, but he could hardly believe what the second creature was. "Honolulu has become a stomping ground for these two giant beasts. One is some sort of enormous flying insect while the other is some sort of giant dinosaur. As you can see here, the Avengers went into battle with the monsters but were ultimately unable to defeat them. The giant insect flew for the ocean, and the dinosaur swam after it. It's every science fiction film come true, but it unfortunately brought the harrowing consequences of reality with it. Thousands are believed to be dead, with the damage to the city skyrocketing into the millions. United States and SHIELD forces are searching for survivors and evacuating whoever they can…."

The reporter continued discussing the situation at hand, but Admiral Stenz heard none of it. The president turned slowly to him, his face white with fear.

"Oh no," Admiral Stenz breathed.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter is a bit too short for your liking. I've had it sitting on my computer for a while now, and I wanted to finish it. I've got a lot planned for this fanfiction's future, but I need to get there first before I can put it into action. I've been watching Marvel's Avengers Assemble and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD to keep me invested. I've also been playing Marvel Heroes 2015 and Marvel's Avengers Alliance to help. Also been playing with the new Godzilla 2014 model in Garry's Mod and SFM. If I had some good models for the Avengers to play with, I could definitely help stay invested. I've also been reading the Godzilla novel based on the film. They've helped, but interest fluctuates with the passing days. Please note that I have no plans on cancelling this. It just takes a bit long for me to get invested and get going. But it's here. And hopefully, I'll have more for you guys.**

**I've also revisted chapters 3, 4, and 5 to include Joe Brody in the story. It doesn't change that much of the story, but I figured it would be a nice little thing to include.**

**Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter.**


	11. Poetics

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. I am Steve Martin reporting to you live. For those of you just joining us, our world was completely changed last night. The city of Honolulu, Hawaii was devastated by what can only be described as monsters. Two enormous monsters the likes of which humanity has never been seen before." The footage from last night's battle is played on the television while Steve Martin continues speaking. "This footage is 100% real. Not a hoax and not a movie. Honolulu was stomped into the ground by these enormous creatures. Damage caused by the monsters' battling was piled on by an enormous flood. The Avengers, with the assistance of United States military officer Colonel James Rhodes, came to help combat the monsters but proved ineffective. Thousands are estimated to be dead, with the damage to the city totaling in at about $47 billion. Last night after the creatures left, the President of the United States went to the television waves to explain to the public what had happened." The footage then switched to that of the president at a press conference, camera flashes and arms waving like crazy. "Two monsters attacked the city: a giant insect like creature and some sort of large dinosaur. The insect was labeled "MUTO": Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism. However, when questioned about the other monster, he declined an answer. However, new evidence has recently come to light from the efforts of the hacktivist group known as the Rising Tide." A black and white photograph of Godzilla's back rising out of the water appeared onscreen. "The creature is called "Godzilla" and has apparently existed for some time. Unearthed from the floor of the Pacific Ocean back in 1954 during a nuclear test, the United States and Soviet Union made several attempts to kill the creature via nuclear weapons. The creature had been thought to have been killed, but recent events sadly prove otherwise. Other files that the Rising Tide leaked to the internet include exactly how many and which nuclear tests were attempts to kill the monster. This Godzilla had also done battle with other monsters, such as this other MUTO specimen known as "Shinomura"." Daisuke Serizawa's original sketch of the creature appeared on the screen. "No photographs exist of this creature. Only files and this drawing by the late Daisuke Serizawa, Hiroshima survivor and father of world renown Monarch scientist Ishiro Serizawa. Ladies and gentlemen, this is harrowing news. Our world has gotten much smaller, and many questions now float in the air. What is our military's plan for these monsters? Why was this kept a secret from the public? And are there more of these MUTOs out there?" The TV was turned off by a visibly agitated Admiral Stenz, who rubbed the back of his hot neck.

"Damn those hackers," he said with a huff. He stared out of the window of the aircraft carrier, his view of the other navy vessels obscured by the large dorsal plates jutting from the water. Four ships were sailing alongside Godzilla as it swam through the water after the MUTO. The enormous rows of dorsal fins along its back were as long as the aircraft carrier Admiral Stenz was on. The Helicarrier was drifting high above the ocean, the SHIELD crew on high alert.

"Happens to the best of us," Fury said on the radio.

"Make sure you stay high above the creature," Admiral Stenz warned. "We can't afford to lose that Helicarrier." The Helicarrier was far out of the way of the giant reptile but definitely needed to worry about the MUTO. The MUTO's readings were on display via hologram, showing its body temperature, flying speed, and intended path. It was predicted to reach San Francisco, California if it continued on its current course.

The Avengers plus Rhodey all sat at a table in the command center, with Fury, Coulson, and Hill all manning the deck. Morale among them had proven to be quite low with their three losses against the monsters. Down over the sea, several small spherical objects passed over Godzilla and scanned the creature's massive bulk. Readouts and data alongside a projection of Godzilla were displayed via hologram on the command deck.

"I want to know exactly what we're dealing with here," Fury said.

"Data compiled, sir," JARVIS stated. Tony had JARVIS interface with the Helicarrier for maximum efficiency. Fury kept JARVIS locked out of anything too secret, much to Tony's chagrin. The hologram displayed various numbers and measurements beside the Godzilla projection. It clocked in at about 355 feet tall and 550 feet and two inches long, weighing in at about 90,000 tons. Other bits of information popped up, such as the number of dorsal plates on its back and teeth in its mouth. The flesh was revealed to be several feet deep and had a structure similar to that of Kevlar. The numbers shook the team, stupefying them. Another display popped up, showing the body temperature of the giant reptile.

"That's almost twice the length of the Philippines skeleton," Vivienne said, looking over at Serizawa.

"Our Helicarrier is bigger," Fury bragged.

"90,000 tons," Bruce said in astonishment. "That's not possible. A creature of that size should have collapsed in on itself when it made landfall."

"Do you wanna tell him that?" Steve asked, pointing out the window and to the beast swimming under them.

"He is right," Vivienne said. "No ordinary bone structure would support an animal of that size outside of water."

"So he's got titanium bones?" Tony asked.

"Tungsten," Serizawa said. Tony blinked at him. "His bones are as hard as tungsten."

"Harder than that," Fury interrupted. He pressed a button and several pictures of broken drilling equipment of various ranges and designs were projected before them. "Some of the best drilling tech in the world. Didn't make a single scratch on the bones Monarch found in the Philippines."

"Jesus," Tony said. "Somebody's been drinking his milk."

"The real kicker is right here," Fury said, pointing at the holographic display of Godzilla's body temperature. The chest was the hottest part of its body. The numbers shown beside the beating heart showed incredibly high energy numbers. "This thing is producing more energy than the world's most powerful nuclear reactor." Tony noticed something odd with the room. He glanced around quickly to see everyone that was accounted for.

"Anybody seen Thor?" he asked. The Asgardian had slipped away during the news report and was nowhere to be found on the Helicarrier. In fact, he wasn't on it at all. Far down below, the mighty Thor flew along the surface of the water next to the colossal Godzilla. With caution, he lightly landed upon the bulky back of the creature. The thick obsidian mass of flesh underneath his boots was wet from the ocean, the foam from the waves lapping at the edges that peaked over the water's surface. He struggled to keep himself upright as the body shifted with the creature's breathing. Very few things impressed Thor. His team, Captain Rogers, his girl Jane Foster, and this beast. In all the nine realms, he had never seen such a creature before. Not one of this size and power, anyway. Legends of mighty beasts were not new to his people, but he had never thought they'd be real. Thor had heard tales of a monster from those descended from the ancestors of a wandering Berserker army that had ventured to Midgard to wage war. It had no name but was spoken about in fear and reverence. Both savior and destroyer.

"Could you be the same?" he asked aloud. The only response he received was the sound of the water splashing against the creature's hide and the salty spray on his face. He knew he would receive no answer but ultimately didn't need one anyway. No mortal creature could live that long, not even Godzilla. Thor wanted to believe it was the beast of legend, though. The Asgardian felt so odd. His people were worshipped as gods. He had fought frost giants, dark elves, and even his own brother. He fought alongside metal men, a super soldier, and a man beast. Yet, now, he felt so small. An ant compared to an animal larger than any living being he had ever seen. Perhaps this is how Jane and others felt around him? Such a revelation made him feel daunted. He blinked and shook his head, unsure of everything now. Despite all he had been through, with Malekith, Loki, and the Chitauri, this whole discovery of the MUTO and Godzilla was still settling in to him. Thor was unsure if he was dreaming or not, and this frustrated him. He had been trained to be the king of Asgard, to be certain of all decisions and never second guess himself. The latter was what he was doing now. Odin had never trained him to deal with monsters capable of destroying worlds. He needed certainty now. He held Mjolnir in his left hand and knelt down, extending his right hand out below. With ease, he pressed his bare palm into the flesh of the monster's back. The Asgardian slowly shut his eyes and let the energy of the world take its course. What he felt was indescribable. Through his palms, he could feel the raw power that coursed through the reptile's veins. Every heartbeat made its way to him, hitting him like a hurricane. And yet he held his own. An intense fire burned deep inside its heart, strong enough to act as its own power source. It felt intense. Amazing. Overwhelming. Reluctantly, Thor opened his eyes and lifted his hand off the obsidian flesh. He was breathing heavily, as though he had just finished a marathon. The power he felt rivaled that of Mjolnir itself. With a deep sigh, he nodded to himself and silently thanked the creature. This was real. He had not gone crazy. Thor kicked off from the creature's hide and darted upwards for the Helicarrier. He flew high over the top and then drifted slowly down. His feet thumped firmly on the flight deck of the Helicarrier with every step as he returned inside. Until Fury, Rogers, Jane, or Asgard needed something of him, he would watch Godzilla from an observation platform. The electronic doors opened, and Vivienne was inside staring down at the creature. "Doctor Graham." She turned to him quickly and nodded.

"Hello, Thor," she said. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Thor merely smiled and walked over to her, stopping beside her.

"It's quite fine," he replied. He gazed down at the animal drifting through the ocean. "It's following the MUTO. Determined to kill it."

"Secure its place as the top of the food chain," Vivienne said. "Logical."

"If it succeeds in its quest, what do you think will come of it after?" Thor asked. Vivienne frowned, and she looked down at her shoes.

"I'm not quite sure," she admitted. "I suppose it would return to its undersea home, wherever that may be." She looked back at him and saw pure focus on his face. The scientist attempted to suppress a giggle but couldn't help herself.

"Something amusing to you?" Thor asked gently.

"I'm sorry, but that look on your face," she said, regaining composure. "It's funny to see on someone else that isn't Sensei." Thor laughed. "You've seen something in it." Thor slowly turned to look at her.

"This creature fascinates me," he said. "So grand and regal. I…. I touched it." Vivienne's eyes widened in surprise.

"You did what?" she asked excitedly.

"I touched it," he repeated. "Touched it. With my bare hand."

"What did it feel like?" Her mind was racing with questions, as though she had reverted back to her little schoolgirl days.

"Remarkable," Thor stated. "The skin, it was smooth but firm. Like the metal of Mjolnir. But what was truly remarkable was the power. I felt what I think was its soul. Unparalleled power, unlike anything else here in Midgard."

"Director Fury has calculated that Godzilla's heart is more powerful than our greatest nuclear reactor," Vivienne said.

"It was more than just energy," Thor said. "I felt something… alive in there. Something almost human."

"Perhaps you felt its emotions," Vivienne said, trying to help him rationalize what he felt. "They are capable of that, you know."

"It was more than that, too," Thor said. "I felt… an old warrior. A tired man of the world. A fighter, like father. Lady Sif. And the Warriors Three." Vivienne stared at him with great intensity, entranced by what he was saying. Although she remained skeptical as to the concept of animals having self awareness and identity, he had peered into the monster personally. Being an Asgardian, it may be possible he saw something science couldn't detect. "I felt a desire to remain alone, aloof from the rest of the world. Yet, I also felt this desire to protect what belonged to it. A wandering warrior."

"Like a samurai," Vivivenne said. Thor blinked at her, not understanding. "They're Japanese swordsmen, bound by a code. The Bushido. Samurai were honorable and brave. Like you." Thor smiled and nodded at her.

"You honor me, doctor," he said. "I admit that your Midgard culture fascinates me. Once all this is set and done, you could perhaps teach me more of these samurai." Vivienne smiled.

"I'd love to," she said eagerly. "And perhaps you could teach me of Asgard's culture."

"I'd love to," Thor said with genuine enthusiasm. "When I touched the mighty beast, I was reminded of an old tale from Asgard's past. As well as your home's." He had Vivienne's undivided attention. "Long ago, a band of Asgardian warriors made their way to Midgard to wage war. They had been caught in a terrible storm out at sea and were attacked by a giant tentacle beast known as the Kraken. It threatened to drag them all down with it to the dark depths when they were saved. A monster much larger than the Kraken lifted itself from the raging waves and consumed the beast. The warriors that returned to Asgard passed this tale down to today's people."

"You believe this monster to be Godzilla?" Vivienne asked.

"Not this one, per say," Thor said. "Perhaps an ancestor?" Their conversation was interrupted by blaring alarms. SHIELD agents rushed through the halls as though the ship was being attacked. "This will have to wait." Vivienne cursed under her breath at the abrupt end but knew this was important. The two made their way to the bridge, where all major personnel had gathered.

"Where you been, big guy?" Tony asked, turning to Thor.

"How foul does this situation bear?" Thor asked. The holographic display was projecting news coverage from Las Vegas, Nevada. A giant black insect like creature with red markings on it was laying waste to Sin City. Vivienne stared at the footage in horror.

"Bad," Coulson stated. "Really bad."

"Another MUTO attack?" Thor asked worriedly. "How can this be? The MUTO could not have reached this city so swiftly."

"You're right," Fury said. "It couldn't have. This is a MUTO attack. But not our MUTO." That's when Thor looked back to the news feed again and noticed something damning about the rampaging monster.

It didn't have wings.


	12. Femuto

"Attention, incoming transport, you are not scheduled for entry. State the nature of your business."

"Delivery." Loki smirked to himself as he landed the transport on the landing pad in front of the entrance. The data from the transport's computer had led him and Thanos right to Yucca Mountain. And its prisoner.

The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was the United States' major facility for storing nuclear waste and reactor fuel, with the origins of the facility's inception dating back to around the mid-1980s. Unbeknownst to the American populace, save for the political elite, it was also home to various unusual radioactive materials, such as Chitauri weaponry, space mutagens, and an enormous MUTO chrysalis. Uncovered in the Philippines alongside the Godzilla skeleton, it was transported to Yucca Mountain for containment and analysis following the Janjira Incident. Unlike its Japanese counterpart, it was virtually silent inside its vault. Were it not for the faint life signs detected within, it would have basically just been a rock. It had a troubled political history, but thanks to the efforts of Monarch and SHIELD, it became one of the United States' top research facilities.

Not only could Loki and Thanos retrieve their MUTO, but practically everything they needed to construct a portal for the invading Chitauri forces to come through was there as well.

"Now, what's the plan?" Loki asked.

"Crush everyone in our path," Thanos said, cracking his knuckles vigorously. Loki merely nodded and grinned.

"For once, I am in agreement." He swirled his scepter in his fingers, itching to cut these humans down to size. Way too long for his liking, he operated in secret. Now, he had an opportunity to cut loose. And he thirsted for it enormously. Sunlight peaked through the widening sliver at the top as the back door descended. SHIELD agents surrounded the transport, rifles in hand. "Go." With a throaty roar, Thanos burst from the inside of the transport and ran down the agents before him. The bullets rained down on him but bounced off his body like jellybeans. Thanos groped an agent's head in his mighty fist and slammed his body several times on the desert floor. The purple titan swung his meaty rippled arm around and hurled the limp body at three other SHIELD agents encroaching upon him, sending them sprawling for the ground. Loki slid out from the transport and fired a burst of energy from his scepter, vaporizing an agent's insides. The Jotun propelled his body through the air with incredible force towards another agent and then impaled him with his spear's blade. Thanos smashed an agent's gun in his fist while it was still firing and punched her square in the chest with his other fist, caving in her ribcage. The facility was on high alert, alarms blaring through the air and agents scrambling to and fro to confront the oncoming threat. Thanos grinned with a hearty growl from deep in his throat, but Loki held out his arm in front of him. "Allow me." Rearing back his arm, Loki thrust the Tesseract forward and launched a beam of energy that vaporized the agents in the blink of an eye. Smoke rose from the ashy remains, giving the Mad Titan the cover he needed to charge down the hallway. A SHIELD agent at the end fired a rocket at him, and Thanos intercepted it in midair by punching it. The agent's body contorted in pain as it felt something cut through his body. The feeling was overpowering, like he had been set on fire. Loki withdrew his scepter from the agent's body and pushed him to the ground, his body slackening in a pool of his own blood. Thanos chuckled deeply.

"This is almost too easy!" he boasted.

"I grow tired," Loki said, stifling a yawn. "Let's mix it up a bit!"

"Such as?" Loki pointed his scepter at one of the giant vault doors and then nodded at Thanos. The titan grabbed the metal door in his hands and ripped it clean off the wall, the metal groaning loudly. Inside were dozens of tightly sealed barrels, each bearing a biohazard symbol on the side.

"Grab one." Thanos lifted about five and tucked them under his arm. A gunshot ricocheting off a metal pipe caught Loki's attention as a squad of agents came hustling down the hall towards them. "Throw one at them!" Almost instantaneously, Thanos threw one of the toxic waste barrels at the agents. It hit the ground with such force that the metal tore open, spilling its contents on the agents. A burst of energy ejaculated from Loki's scepter and set the waste and agents ablaze. Thanos let out a hearty laugh.

"Impressive!" he said, giving Loki a firm pat on the back. For once, he was enjoying Loki's company. Loki merely bowed, soaking in the attention. "Which one of these is the MUTO?" There were multiple vaults along the hallway. Thanos didn't wait for an answer and began to tear the doors off one by one until he found what they were searching for. Loki merely whistled a tune and spun his scepter. Thanos ripped the third door off and was greeted by an enormous black chrysalis. "Found it."

"Excellent," Loki said, striding towards it. It was even bigger than the last one, much to their delight. Thanos snatched the Tesseract from Loki's hand and held it forward, directing its energy at the chrysalis. A bright and blinding beam burst forth and pierced the shell, phasing straight through it.

"Obey, creature!" Thanos bellowed. "I am Thanos, the Mad Titan! Obey and awaken! My will is yours now! Obey! OBEY!" The chrysalis began to pulse with red energy, the pulses quickening one after another. One phased blue and then back to red. The pulsing rose to several a millisecond before stopping suddenly. The two were then greeted by a familiar sound.

"_Vrrrrr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr-rr…"_

Chunks burst from the chrysalis, a large thick forelimb piercing the shell and even through the rocky ceiling itself. Sunlight illuminated the vault interior. Soon, the entire vault became an opening in the side of the mountain as the MUTO emerged from its chrysalis and took the entire rock wall out. It turned around to face Loki and Thanos, growling lowly. It resembled the other MUTO in many ways. Aside from being taller, it's only unique feature was its lack of wings.

"Hmm…" Thanos said as he stared into the Tesseract. "It's a female. Just what the male was searching for."

"Excellent," Loki purred. The female MUTO stood there, its body softly rising and falling with each breath. "Then let us gather what we need for the portal and unite these long lost souls."

"Wait," Thanos said. "What is THAT?" Thanos pointed a thick meaty finger at a city, faintly visible along the horizon. Loki narrowed his eyes and stared at the city. While researching Yucca Mountain, he had learned much about the surrounding land.

"The human call it Las Vegas," Loki said. "A city dedicated to gambling, whores, and debauchery. The humans spend their precious lives and money here to pursue fortune and a sense of worth."

"How many humans dwell at this Las Vegas?" Thanos asked.

"Millions," Loki said. A grin stretched on Thanos's purple face.

"Our new MUTO is new to this world," he said. "A virgin to its destructive prowess. Perhaps we should… give it a test run." Now, Loki was grinning.

"Break it in," he said.

"Heh heh heh," Thanos laughed with a growl in his throat. Loki pointed his scepter at the city. The MUTO turned and looked at Las Vegas. With a creaky growl, the female MUTO turned and plodded along the desert towards the unsuspecting city.

* * *

**Author's Note: A bit shorter than the others, but here you have it. We're getting close to the end, guys. The battle at SanFran awaits. Here's a little something I've had established for a while. I actually plan on writing a trilogy for this crossover. I've got the plot, action, and monsters all planned out for the next two installments. I might wait until Age of Ultron comes out before set anything in stone, but that's a definite maybe. Nothing for certain yet.**

**Also, don't take this the wrong way, but please refrain from posting "please update" in the reviews. I'm glad you guys love this crossover so much and am glad you want more, but "please update" is not the way to get me to write more. I appreciate that you guys like this so much and want more, but that doesn't get me motivated. Plus, it's a bit of a nuisance to have to go in and remove those so the actual reviews don't get swamped. So please save the review section for either praise, ridicule, or actual criticism.**

**Been reading the Godzilla novel again (very good, btw) as well as watching clips from the movie that Warner Bros uploaded to YouTube to get me in the mood. Been playing Godzilla Smash3 to also get me there. I gotta say that I'm glad to get back into it, again. Been long overdue. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and hope that it won't be as long as it was last time for me to update.**


	13. The Nuclear Option

"Ladies and gentlemen, reporter Steve Martin coming back to you once more. I regret to inform you that there is no good news with this top story, either. Las Vegas was tragically devastated earlier today from a monster attack. Another MUTO was being contained at the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository and had escaped. The monster demolished the city utterly before making its way towards California. Facility personnel stated that the MUTO had remained dormant, contained inside a chrysalis. Several minutes before the MUTO escaped, radio contact with the facility went silent. Evidence collected at the scene seems to indicate that the facility had been attacked by unknown assailants. Autopsies of the bodies show some that were crushed via heavy external force while others were impaled with a sharp blade or burned from superheated plasma. This attack on the facility and the MUTO escape are suspected to be related. There are currently no suspects in the attack. The big question on everybody's mind is where did this MUTO come from?"

"It's Loki and Thanos, obviously," Thor said as he watched the television report.

"But how did they know?" Vivienne asked.

"Loki is a trickster," Thor explained. "His magic allows him to alter his form and sneak amongst you mortals."

"So how did he wake up the second MUTO?" Steve asked.

"Perhaps the Tesseract?" Bruce suggested.

"Where did they get it from?" Tony asked. "It's not like the MUTO handed it over to them over coffee."

"The only alternative is if it hatched on its own," Steve said.

"Not possible," Vivienne said. "The scientists there said that the chrysalis was completely dormant."

"So it just woke up randomly?" Tony asked.

"I don't know," Vivienne said softly, feeling uneasy. She stared at the hologram projecting the three monsters' paths. They all met at San Francisco. With about 800,000 people living in the city, the death toll from the monsters would be absolutely astounding. Everyone turned their attention to the echoing footsteps outside the room. Admiral Stenz arrived, looking incredibly solemn.

"Gentlemen," he said. "And ladies. I just got off the phone with the President. I won't lie. Our options are grim, and we only have one stone to stand on." His solemn look was now being shared by everyone else in the room. "The President has green lighted the nuclear arsenal." Thor looked at the others in the room, who had stiffened from the news.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Nukes," Bruce said. "Bombs. Big ones."

"I'm sorry, but have you forgotten what these two have been saying?" Tony asked, pointing at Vivienne and Serizawa. "They feed off nuclear energy."

"The plan is to put a nuke on a boat, lure the monsters out to sea, and detonate it," Admiral Stenz said. "Three birds with one stone."

"That's assuming it all goes off without a hitch," Vivienne said.

"Nick Fury won't let this happen," Natasha said.

"It's not up to him," Admiral Stenz stated. "This is now officially a matter for the United States government to deal with. They're inside US borders, and everything we've thrown at them has proved ineffective. Including you all."

"What about prevailing winds?" Bruce asked. "If the winds aren't right and that nuke goes off, the fallout will be blown right into the city."

"I didn't say it was the perfect option," Admiral Stenz said. The thought of having nukes in civilian areas terrified him, but they were dealing with giant monsters. The risk needed to be taken. "But it's all we have. The city is being evacuated as we speak, in the event of a worst case scenario."

"Isn't THIS a worst case scenario?" Tony asked.

"We don't have another option, Mister Stark," Admiral Stenz said.

"How are we even gonna transport the nukes?" Rhodey asked. "I thought the MUTOs generated an EMP field that downs all technology."

"We'll be transporting the nukes via train," Admiral Stenz said. Steve inhaled sharply at the word "train", having a mini flashback to seventy years ago. "We'll have the nukes retrofitted with mechanical detonators. Gears and sprockets. Low tech. The train will head through the Sierra Nevada mountain range and be at San Francisco in a few hours. That's our plan." Admiral Stenz sounded like he had the entire situation under his thumb, but after what all they had seen, nobody was completely convinced. "If anyone has an alternative plan, believe me, I would love to hear it." His tone was genuine. Stenz had absolutely no desire to use these nukes, but orders were orders.

"I may have something," Serizawa said softly. He looked over at Vivienne, who nodded softly at him. "Godzilla. He can defeat them."

"Doctor, are you seriously suggesting that we let the monsters duke it out in the city?" Admiral Stenz asked. "If this Godzilla loses, what then? And even if it wins, there is no guarantee it'll just go back in the water."

"My plan is far from perfect as well," Serizawa admitted. "But this nuclear option….. it does not sit well with me."

"With all due respect, I can't take up such a risky gamble," Admiral Stenz said. "Our current plan is already teetering on the edge, but this is too much. Several million lives are at stake if these things make it to land. Can we afford to sacrifice more on a hunch?" Serizawa sighed and looked down at his feet.

"I see your point, but I wouldn't know where to begin," Serizawa relented. As much as he wanted to believe that Godzilla was a force for good, he was ultimately an animal. A wild animal that operated on logic alone. Animals cannot be reasoned with, no matter what people see in them.

"I have to agree with the admiral," Steve said. "I have no desire to see any nukes go off, but we don't have an alternative. No offense, Doctor, but we can't hold these monsters to the honor system."

"I believe you, Doctor." The others turned around to look at Thor. "I know the rest of you do not, but I have felt what the doctor sees in Godzilla." In the end, it mattered little. The decision had been made, for good or for ill. Serizawa reached into his pocket and clutched something in his hand, setting it on the table before Admiral Stenz.

"I know I can't change your mind, but I don't think you understand the gravity of the nuclear option," he said. "Not like I do." Admiral Stenz looked at the object Serizawa had set on the table. It was an antique pocket watch. The shiny metallic finish was tarnished and blackened, as though it had been burned. He stared at it, puzzled.

"It's stuck," he said. He held it to his ear. No ticking sound. The hands weren't moving. He stared at the time it was frozen on. "8:15."

"8:15 AM," Serizawa said. "August 6, 1945. Monday." Admiral Stenz grew silent.

"Hiroshima." Serizawa nodded.

"It was my father's." Admiral Stenz sighed.

"My father helped deliver that bomb," he said. "On the USS Indianapolis."


	14. Crazy Train

The crickets' chirping was swallowed up by the sound of the train pounding down the rails, carrying its hazardous load. Two ICBM nuclear missiles were fastened onto a loading car and being transported through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. A squad of soldiers rode the rails, guarding their payload. Agents Romanoff and Barton had been personally assigned by Fury to make sure the nukes reach the city unscathed. Fury had a heated debate with the Council, Admiral Stenz, and even the President of the United States. In the end, the matter was out of SHIELD's hands. SHIELD could assist in the fight, but they were no longer in charge.

Fury wanted to send more than two Avengers, but Admiral Stenz had some reservations about having those with unstoppable superpowers relax around some of the United States' most powerful weapons. Barton and Romanoff, with their skill set and camaraderie, were the best pair for the job.

The soldiers felt a sense of security with SHIELD's top two agents watching their backs, but it wasn't enough to take the edge off. One bad move, and the mountains are set ablaze. They had already witnessed an enormous trail of destruction on the way through. Farms, small rural neighborhoods, factories, highways, and anything else had been devastated. The bomb may as well have gone off, if the damage to the countryside was anything to go off of. The female MUTO was wandering along the other side of the mountain range, a ways away from them. The military was throwing everything they could to keep the monster away from the rails. It was costing them heavily but working. The EMP field the MUTO was giving off made communication with these holdout forces in the mountain range difficult, and the crew transporting the ICBMs found themselves largely in the dark and on their own. It had been hours since a new contact had been established.

Natasha listened to the ticking of the mechanical timer, finding some solace in the sound despite the fact that every click brought them closer to detonation. It reminded her of her childhood in Stalingrad. The sound of the grandfather clock at her home. Or what she considered a home at the time. Clint came around the walkway and over to her side, leaning against the metal wall of the train car with her.

"You're awfully calm for somebody sitting on a ticking hot potato," Clint said.

"I was chased by a Hulk," Natasha said. "A nuke's a bit of a step down for me." Clint let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"Man, what the hell are we doing here?" he asked. "I mean, you said it two years ago. This is monsters and stuff we weren't trained for."

"We also weren't trained to fight aliens, but we did a good job of that two years ago, too," Natasha said.

"But monsters, man," Clint said. "Big giant ones. Two bugs and a dinosaur." He sighed and shook his head again. "If anybody told me this is what happens when you join SHIELD, I'd have never believed 'em."

"That makes two of us," Natasha said, leaning closer towards him. The two sat in silence, watching the twinkle of the stars burning in the pitch black of the sky. The hum of the train behind them, the vibrations vibrating through them, and the cool night air offered a sliver of serenity in these trying times. "It feels like years since we were able to take it slow."

"When have you ever taken it slow?" Clint joked. Natasha hid a smile making its way along her lips.

"Clint," she asked slowly. "Can I ask why you're here?" Clint laughed.

"What, trying to get rid of me already?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Natasha said lowly. Clint's joking demeanor faded when he saw that Natasha was being serious.

"I was just-"

"I know," she said. "But seriously. Why are you here, doing all this? This is bigger than you. Than the both of us." Clint nodded slowly, agreeing with her. He was incredibly outmatched by two big prehistoric monsters from beneath the Earth's crust.

"I know why you're here," he said, sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Do you now?" Natasha asked, feigning ignorance.

"Wipe out red in your ledger," Clint said.

"Oh, so you can remember that but not remember my birthday?" Natasha teased.

"Your birthday?" Clint asked. "But-wait a minute. That wasn't your real birthday!"

"It was my cover's," she said, hiding a smile behind her hand.

"That wasn't even in the file," Clint said.

"It's called "improv", Clint," she said. The two of them had been on a mission to extract important political information in Malta a few years back, masquerading as a couple having transferred from the United States to work at a law firm run by Ian Quinn. The operation was a success and was a real blow to Quinn's reputation. There was zero evidence to prove SHIELD was behind it, but Quinn never took his eye off SHIELD from that point on. Natasha had a little fun during the operation and toyed with Clint's head, and she never failed to take an opportunity to grill him for it. Clint was laughing just thinking about it all.

"Where'd that sense of humor come from?" he asked.

"Picked some up from Stark," she said and then pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare tell him I said that."

"Secret's safe with me," Clint said.

"You're right, though," Natasha said. "About the red. But it's more than that now." She silenced herself, focusing on gathering her thoughts. "Protecting this world and its people. From forces outside and within. I'm not a soldier, but…. sometimes, it feels good to act like one." Clint nodded, impressed with her answer.

"Kinda like that for me," Clint said. "SHIELD helping out the people and all that. Plus, I've kinda grown to like hanging out with Tony and the others. He's actually not that bad once you get to know him and have a couple of beers in you." Natasha let out a small laugh, barely audible. "And don't tell him I said that."

"Is that all?" Natasha asked. Clint found himself struggling to answer, something that rarely happens. But when it does, it's usually because of one person. Her.

"….Not exactly," he confessed. "There's another reason. A big one."

"What is it?" she asked, keeping her composure. Clint rubbed the back of his neck, feeling it heat up a tad.

"…..You."

"And if I wasn't here doing this, would you be?" she asked. Clint hesitated before answering, unsure of how to proceed.

"Would you?" he asked. "If I wasn't here?" Now, it was Natasha who struggled to answer. She chided herself mentally for her silence. She outran the Hulk, stopped an alien invasion, and even fought a monster. But answering a simple question causes her to stumble. The two merely stood there, watching each other. Clint opened his mouth to tell her something. "Tasha-"

The squeal of brakes rang through the air as the train skidded to a halt. Clint fell into Natasha, and the two balanced themselves on the guard rail to prevent from falling off. The screech was deafening, lasting for what seemed like half an hour. The sound finally subsided, and the train had completely stopped. Clint and Natasha walked swiftly to the front of the train where a crowd of soldiers were gathered.

"The hell, Tre?" Clint asked. "Where's the fire?"

"Sorry, boss." Sergeant Tre Morales was fiddling with the settings on a large radio mounted onto a backpack, looking unnerved. Tre was a Hispanic man born and raised in the Queens area of New York City. His wife originally lived in San Francisco before she moved far north. Tre bragged proudly that they were expecting a child. A daughter. He and Clint had plenty of time to shoot the breeze together on the long trip. Tre was quick with a joke, and Clint offered to treat him to a beer after all this.

Master Sergeant Waltz, the man put in charge of delivering this payload, had the whole crew gathered up.

"Apologies for the shakeup, SHIELD agents," he said. "We've got a situation. As you know, it's been hours since we've been able to establish radio contact with anybody out in these hills. The MUTO's EMP field has up in the dark out here. Have you two had any luck radioing SHIELD?"

"No dice," Clint said. Tre swore under his breath in Spanish.

"We haven't seen or heard anything," Tre said. "Not a deer. Not a squirrel. Nothin'."

"Maybe they saw our payload and got the hell out," a soldier said, earning a myriad of laughs from the team. The laughter subsided as Waltz silenced them, leaving only the faint ringing of the chirping crickets emanating from the shadows.

"Snake Eyes, this is Bravo. What's the status at phase line red? Are the tracks clear, over?" Static hissed and crackled from the radio. "Repeat, Snake Eyes. This is Bravo. What is the status at phase line red?" Once again, he was greeted with static. Waltz made a swiping motion with his hand, and Tre cut the feed.

"On the other side of this tunnel is a bridge," Waltz said. "We've got no idea what's on the other side or even if the bridge is still intact. Hence the sudden stop. We'll need to send a team on the other side to investigate."

"I volunteer," Clint said, slinging his bow off of his back.

"I'll provide Agent Barton backup," Natasha said, sparking her gauntlets.

"Excellent," Waltz said. "Morales, you're with me. The rest of you will stay here and guard the train. Ready, Morales?" Tre adjusted the sights on his gun.

"Time to get loud," he said, grinning.

"Hopefully, we won't have to," Waltz said.

"You mind if I take point, sir?" Clint asked.

"You've got better aim that any of us here," Waltz said. "Go for it." Clint nodded and took his position at the front. An arrow had been primed and armed, with Clint taking great care to avoid the use of his explosive ordinance arrowheads. They didn't need the tunnel collapsing on top of them. Tre and Waltz had the flashlights mounted on their M4s as bright as can be, shining them down the tunnel. A fog had rolled in an hour ago and had followed them through the mountains, compromising their visibility. Clint primed the laser sight on his bow, but it did little.

"Damn, this fog's as thick as peanut butter," Tre whispered.

"You mean pea soup?" Clint asked.

"You eat what you like, and I'll eat what I like," Tre replied. A clattering on the rails spooked the lot of them. Tre and Waltz raised their guns. A deer burst through the fog, scampering past them and out the entrance behind them. Tre, Waltz, and Clint all laughed softly. Natasha was quiet. The four of them continued through the tunnel, which seemed to stretch on for a whole mile. The fog was so thick, they didn't even realized they had exited the tunnel until they looked up. The bridge was laid out before them, rolling forwards through the fog that swallowed everything. The bridge stretched over a steep gorge, a river flowing under it.

"Great," Clint said. "We're gonna have to check the other side."

"We're also gonna have to check the supports," Waltz said. "Gotta make sure this thing is stable enough to hold the train. Unless you guys would rather swim."

"Who's checking what?" Natasha asked.

"Morales and I will take the bottom," Waltz said. "You and Barton'll take top side."

"My favorite side," Clint said. Natasha glided past him and walked down the rails.

"Watch my back," she told him.

"You got it, Boss," Clint said. Natasha smiled to herself, thankful he couldn't see it. She loved it when he called her that.

Tre and Waltz began to scale down a mass of earth that led down to a bank below from which they could survey the bottom of the bridge. The path down was relatively easy to navigate, but traversing the wide gaps here and there while holding their guns presented a challenge. As they descended, the rapids slowly came into view. White water lapped around the edges of the support beams holding the bridge above. The smooth pebbles, worn from years of water rushing over them, crunched under their boots. Waltz removed his binoculars and began to scope out the supports when a tap on his shoulder interrupted him. He turned his head to see Tre pointing to an orange glowing mass drifting down the river through the fog. The two soldiers were shocked to see the mass come into view from outside the fog and identify it as a tank. A burning tank crushed like a soda can. A helicopter, or what was left of one, bobbed in the water behind it, being guided by the rapids. Wrecked jeeps and drones accompanied by the mangled bodies of their fellow soldiers littered the rapids. Oil sat on the water's surface and burned brightly. Tre clicked on his radio.

"Barton, we found Snake Eyes," he said solemnly. "They're floating in the river." Clint peered over the edge to see but could only see faint orange lights piercing the fog. "We've got burning tanks and choppers down here as well. It's rough."

"Shit," Clint hissed. "This is too much."

"We're almost to the end," Natasha said, gripping her pistol in her hands. "Once we clear this bridge, we drop the nuke off and sail it out to sea." With every step down the bridge, the fog fought to cloud everything. By a stroke of luck, the fog lifted. The tunnel exit could be seen on the other side. Clint sighed with relief when he saw that the bridge was intact. "Sergeant Waltz, we've spotted the exit. Bridge is clear."

"Roger that," Waltz said, clicking his radio. "Light is green. You are free to go. Fire up the engine, boys." After a few seconds, the train whistle could be heard echoing behind them. Tre's radio began to unexpectedly flare up with static. He switched to separate channels, but the static followed him to every channel. He shut it off and turned it back on, but the static was still there. The ground under their feet began to shake, the rumbling of earth and stone in the air. The two turned to see a tree being unearthed, but it didn't resemble any tree they were familiar with. The bark was smooth and colored like obsidian. The roots also curved into a single hook at the end. They then realized this was no tree but an arm. A low creaking noise rang through the air as the limb lifted high into the sky, disappearing in the fog and shadows of the mountains around them. A garbled bird like chirp echoed as the MUTO left the trench she had dug into the side of the hill, having been awoken from her slumber by the sound of a horn and the faint smell of radiation in the air.

"Get down!" Natasha hissed. Clint and Natasha got onto their stomachs and hugged the rail as tightly as they could. The MUTO dipped under the bridge, investigating the odd structure. Curious low chirps came from its throat. Clint and Natasha didn't dare to move to look at the creature, but its red eyes could be seen in their peripheral. The MUTO was attracted to a small light that was flickering in the bridge. It edged its head closer to where Clint was lying. His military radio light was flickering, being affected by the EMP field. An odd creaky noise rang out from the speaker, and Clint moved quickly to silence it. The MUTO rose above the bridge, trying to find the source of the sound.

"_Kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-krrrrrr-rrrrrrrr_," it groaned, imitating the sound that came from the radio. A shadow fell over them as the MUTO's enormous bulk hung over the bridge. It was twice as large as the original, perhaps as large as Godzilla itself. It leaned its head down towards two small masses huddled on the bridge, its fanged mouth hanging open.

"_Whoo whoo_!" The MUTO looked in the direction of where the sound had come from. Clint and Natasha recognized it as the train's horn.

"_Vwuur-wuur_!" the MUTO called, imitating the horn. It climbed over the bridge and down towards the direction of the sound, curious. A faint red glow hung over the two as the MUTO left them. Behind the small pair of forelimbs on its torso, there was a bulbous sac that jiggled with every motion the beast took. Small chirping sounds called out from inside it.

"Clint," Natasha said. "It's pregnant."

"How the hell is that possible?" Clint asked. "They can't have mated."

"Maybe the male has to fertilize the eggs externally," Natasha said.

"This isn't good," Clint said. "It's bad enough we got two, but if we get two hundred-"

"We won't let that happen," Natasha said. The two rose to their feet, the MUTO having disappeared into the fog. The faint snap of gun shots could be heard alongside panicked screams. A single call from the MUTO was the last sound of what happened. The two agents stared into the fog apprehensively. "Oh God." Clint fiddled with the radio, trying to contact somebody on the train. Natasha squinted to make out an orange light glowing in the fog at the other end of the track. It was getting bigger and brighter. The fog lifted slightly, and the light was revealed to be the train barreling towards them. Engulfed in flames.

"RUN!" Clint shouted. Clint didn't even get to finish shouting before Natasha darted past him. She was a foot ahead of him, but Clint was sprinting as fast as he could to keep up. To reach her.

A creaky groan echoed from within the fog. A large forelimb appeared from the fog and sliced clean through the bridge. Wood and metal flew through the air wildly, like the bridge had been blown up. Natasha looked back, and her eyes widened in fear as she saw Clint flying through the air and down into the fog below. Without thinking, she leapt off the bridge and dove in after him. The MUTO let out another creaky groan, watching the bright burning train plummet towards the river. Natasha hit the water hard, pain coursing her body from the impact. A heavy force hit the water behind her, and the waves knocked her under. She reached the surface, her limbs moving wildly as she gasped for air. Her first thought was to find him. Find Clint. The MUTO's familiar groan took her attention away as she watched the female use the small set of limbs on its torso to grasp at one of the missiles. The creature was unable to get a good enough hold on it, and the ICBM slipped through its grip and into the water below. The MUTO let out a bellow, greatly annoyed at losing its snack. Not wanting a repeat incident, the female reached down and bit the other ICBM. With little effort, the beast removed it from the train car and held it in its mandibles. The resulting pressure from the MUTO's jaws bent the missile slightly, making it resemble a boomerang. With a hiss, the MUTO snapped the missile in half, sending the bottom half crashing down into the river. The warhead was the part it wanted. It let out a trumpeting call as it swallowed the warhead down, the amount of radiation inside hopefully being enough to satiate its young until it reached San Francisco.

* * *

The sound of rushing water faded slowly into existence. Cool air blew against the soft skin of her forehead. This soft feeling was at odds with the hard feeling of rocks digging into her cheek. Natasha winced and rose to a sitting position. She stretched her back, which popped in a few spots. Her neck was absolutely sore, and she felt a nasty gash on her forehead. The blood had been dry for a few hours now. There were tears in her combat suit, and her hair was a fright. A jolt ran through her body as she realized what she was looking for before she blacked out. Clint.

"Clint!" she called out, trying to control the fear she felt. "Clint!"

"Ohhhhhh…" A groan called out to her. She turned to see an arm weakly raised from behind a crumbled jeep. Natasha darted over to it and saw none other than Clint lying against it. He looked just as rough as she did. And felt just as bad. Tears in his suit, and a large cut going from his cheek down the side of his chin.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Remind me to thank Fury for a lovely weekend," Clint said weakly. Natasha playfully swatted him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. His bow was propped up beside him, a few scratches on the paint but nothing damaging. A faint thudding in the distance reached Natasha's ears. She peered up at the sky and saw faint shapes silhouetted against the blue sky. They appeared to be helicopters. Clint strung up his bow and fiddled with the arrowhead settings, selecting the flare. His biceps bulged as he drew the arrow. With a whistle, it launched into the air, and a red flash burst from the tip. The choppers in the distance picked up speed, their blurry outlines sharpening. The thumping grew louder and louder until it was almost deafening. Two helicopters flew above the area the agents were. One was a large chopper designed for transporting heavy materials, and the other one designed to transport personnel. The doors on the smaller copter slid open, and several soldiers led by Steve exited the vehicle.

"Natasha!" Steve called. "Barton!" Clint slung his bow on his back and followed Natasha to the chopper. "Thank God. When your train went dark, we feared the worst."

"Well, it's not exactly great out here, either," Clint said. "The MUTO ate one of the nukes. And the others didn't make it." Clint pointed to a small rock face right of them. Somberness wore heavily on Steve's face as he saw the bodies of the soldiers propped against the wall. Among them were Sergeant Tre Morales and Master Sergeant Waltz. Steve sighed, looking down at his boots.

"Friends of yours?" Steve asked.

"They were all good men," Clint said. "One was Tre." Clint pointed at Tre's body. "He's got a wife in Queens. And a daughter on the way. Didn't know him long, but he was good."

"I'm sorry," Steve said. Steve was no stranger to loss, having seen good men gunned down by the Nazis and HYDRA while he was fighting in the war. Bucky's loss weighed heavily upon him in particular. "When this is over, we'll go to them. Try to make this right."

"I'd appreciate that, Cap," Clint said. "But right now, we gotta blow that bitch to kingdom come one way or another."

"We need to debrief Fury on the second MUTO," Natasha said. "This problem has gotten much worse."

"We could be seeing more than just two of these things if we can't pull through," Clint said.

"We got a live one over here!" a soldier called out. The nuke the MUTO had dropped had been washed onto the shore. The soldiers scrambled over it like ants, fastening cables from the transport plane hovering above.

"I'm gonna help get this nuke hooked up and ready for transport," Steve said. "You guys get ready to go. We'll get the bodies taken care of." Soldiers left the transport with body bags. Clint and Natasha climbed inside, completely exhausted from last night. Clint watched the deceased being secured. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Clint," Natasha said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your-"

"I know," Clint said. "I just…." Seeing these men. It hurt him greatly. "This better have been worth it. That's all I'll say." Natasha merely nodded.

* * *

**Author's Note: I've decided to get off my lazy ass and finish this story, because, dammit, I'm tired of not finishing things. Also, I originally wanted to make a chapter about the train, but I rushed myself. So I've gone back and written the chapter about the train, which will probably confuse people when they see I've written a new chapter and re-uploaded an old one. Convergence Point is not a new chapter, so if you've already read it, you don't need to re-read it. Nothing has really changed. I'll hopefully have this finished by this weekend, but no promises.**


	15. Convergence Point

Things had gone from bad to beyond horrible in a very short amount of time.

The government had stretched a quarantine zone from San Diego to as far north as Portland, Oregon. The enormous exoduses of the populations of San Jose and Sacramento had the people of San Francisco trapped. Almost six million people were being evacuated, but the military and SHIELD were doing their best to get everybody out. Despite their best efforts, the evacuation was almost at a standstill.

Roads were congested with bumper to bumper traffic for miles. Every airport was maxed to capacity, with there not being enough planes to accommodate everyone. The flight were strictly bound to either San Diego or Portland. Any other flights would have to be made at those airports when passengers arrived. Sea travel was done with the aid of the Navy, which had set up a blockade all the way down to the Mexican border.

The Japanese and Australian government had sent naval aid to California and assisted in relief efforts at Hawaii. Any foreign country that had a side exposed to the ocean had its navy on high alert in the event of another monster attack. Practically every piece of American and world news was on the monster attacks. Steve Martin was on TV almost constantly, covering the story. The monster coverage had quickly made him the top news anchor in America. He was on camera, at the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, covering the evacuation. The city's school buses and ambulances were being loaded to capacity with the children, the sick, and the elderly. It would be difficult for them to exit the city with so much traffic. San Francisco had a population of about 800,000 people, and the streets were filled to the brim with people making their way out of the city to either Portland or San Diego. Plenty of people were still in their homes or offices, either too stubborn or scared to leave. Police forces were spread thin, assisting the army with evacuation as well as preventing looting.

Out in the bay, the nuke was being armed via the mechanical timer, which would prevent it from shorting out from the MUTOs' EMP. The helicopter had flown it in about half an hour ago, and the military wasted no time loading it up. The timer was set to detonate in about five hours, plenty of time to create distance between the city and the monsters.

Alcatraz had been repurposed into a makeshift base for Admiral Stenz and his crew, with the Saratoga docked but on standby. The Avengers had been divided up, with Steve, Clint, and Natasha helping to keep order in the streets. Thor and the Hulk stood back, being kept at bay in case the fighting got too intense. Tony and Rhodey had been sent to guard the Golden Gate Bridge and hold off either Godzilla or the MUTO. Whichever came first. The Helicarrier was high over the sky, up past the clouds. A fuzzy signal erupted over the radio, a garbled voice struggling to make sense through the static.

"Sir….. –e've…. –een it…" it stuttered. "-UTO is….. inbound…."

"Scramble those jets," Admiral Stenz announced. Alarms were blaring as the pilots climbed into the fighter jets. One by one, they took off and then organized into a V-shape when they were all in the air. The roar of the engines was deafening as they flew past the base. "Attention, men." His voice was partially obscured by static, but his words could still be heard. "These MUTOs are equipped with EMP abilities not seen in any living thing. I won't lie to you. It's a gamble, but we need to keep those things out of the city. Your courage will never be needed more than it is today."

"Understood, sir," the captain said. "We all knew the risks. My team and I are ready to throw our lives down and do whatever's necessary to keep these civvies safe."

"Godspeed," Admiral Stenz said. "We're all counting on yo-" Static erupted out of the speakers. The captain clicked the radio.

"Say again, over," he said. The static continued, with no response. "Anybody else getting anything?"

"Nothing on my end," one of the pilots said.

"Same here."

"I'm deaf."

"Alright, boys," the captain said. "Looks like we're about to hit it. Ready to show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown?"

"I sure as hell didn't join the Navy to pick daisies."

"You look like a daisy picker to me."

"I'll see you in Hell."

"Excuse me?"

"See you in Hell, SIR." The captain and the others had a good laugh which died down quickly at the sound of a low call. The jet formation turned around the edge of a cloud and saw the MUTO flying towards San Francisco. The static the MUTO was displacing made fighting much more difficult, forcing the pilots to work harder. Lock on would be ineffective. The jets peppered the MUTO's back with gunfire. It let out an irritated roar in response and turned to face its aggressors. Despite its enormous size, the MUTO was being outmaneuvered by the small jets. They buzzed around it like flies, much to the creature's annoyance. Try as it might, the MUTO just couldn't match the jets' speed. A rocket exploded on the side of the MUTO's head, disorientating it. With a hiss, the large creature hugged its wings close to its body and dove through the clouds ahead of it. The jets reformed and chased after it, hot on its heels. The MUTO turned sharply and began to circle the squadron of jets. The red bioluminescent markings on its forelimbs began to glow brighter. The clouds scattered from the intense blast of the EMP that violently erupted from its body.

* * *

Far below on the water's surface, the boat carrying the nuke was far out on the water. The city was scarcely visible, obscured by the fog and rain. The soldiers guiding the nuke out to water was antsy, having been set on edge by the jets flying out to the horizon. Each soldier clung to their gun like it was their own arm. The boat's engine hummed over the sloshing water and then was suddenly ushered into silence. A loud boom echoed from high over the sky, several clouds dissipating. The engine had died, and the radio was down. The timer on the nuke was still ticking.

"Look!" a soldier shouted, pointing to the sky. A black shape could be seen silhouetted through the clouds. It was spinning rapidly towards the water. As it descended farther down, it eventually cleared the clouds and could be seen for what it was. To the soldiers' horror, it was a jet. It was spiraling out of control, and the cockpit was closed with the pilot trapped inside. With a loud smack, the jet slammed into the water and sank. Another jet cleared the fog and spiraled towards the ocean. And another. And another. A whole squadron of jets flew towards the water's surface like leaves dancing in the wind. One hit the water right in front of the boat, splashing torrents of water all over the soldiers. They crouched down low in the boat, shaking both from fear and the coldness of the water. An ear-piercing screech resonated from the sky below.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_"

An enormous black shape faded through the clouds. The MUTO was going to dive-bomb them, its wings hugging its body tightly. The soldiers raised their guns and fired on the MUTO from below, shouting orders and commands left and right.

Civilians had exited their vehicles, a line of cars stacked bumper to bumper next to the wharf. They watched in shock as the jets drifted to the sea and shouted in horror as the MUTO cleared the clouds and smashed into the boat. The creature had dragged the boat along with its crew and cargo under. Large waves rolled from the bay and leapt up onto the concrete. The bystanders fled away back to the safety of their vehicles and the buildings behind them. Huge torrents of water gushed up high into the air alongside a lanky black form that cleared the water. With a creaky screech, the MUTO had risen from the water, the nuke clutched in its mandibles. The innocents' screams were drowned out by the loud calls the creature was making as it teethed on the nuke. Water cascaded off its back and soaked the streets, knocking some people onto their backs. The creature snarled and hissed as it struggled to remove the nuke from the boat, it having been bolted down. Its nuclear package was finally freed when it smashed its forelimb into the offending metal vessel, crumpling it like tinfoil. The ruined boat had flattered a taxi underneath it, leaving only the left back end of the car untouched while the rest of it had been flattened thinner than a floppy disk. Sirens began to ring through the air, annoying the MUTO greatly.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_" It hissed loudly at the city, wanting it to submit in silence.

"_Vrrrrrr-RAAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAH-AAAAHHH!_" The MUTO cocked its head sideways, chirping curiously at the odd sound. It sounded deeper. The enormous creature sniffed and then chirped excitedly, catching a familiar whiff. With the nuke held safely by its small pair of limbs on its torso, the MUTO flapped its wings and lifted into the sky. It glided over the city, maneuvering around a tall skyscraper and over the Chinatown district. The MUTO was caught by a peculiar sight as it landed on a pagoda. Enormous clouds of smoke were billowing from a cluster of buildings around it, with a trail of smoke and destruction leading to it from outside the city. The familiar scent was doused by all the smoke and soot in the air.

"Vrraaaaah! Raaaah!" It called out to the cloud, curious to see if it would get a response like earlier.

"Vrraaaaah! Raaaah!" A deeper call came back to it. The MUTO gingerly lifted itself off the pagoda and glided over to the smoke cloud. The torrents of smoke cleared when the MUTO landed, its enormous wings fanning away the billows of soot. A shape materialized through the smoke, twice as tall as the MUTO itself. The female MUTO had arrived under command of Loki and Thanos via the Tesseract. It stared down at the smaller male, growling slightly. Its mandibles twitched, drool hanging from them. The male could smell pheromones emanating from her body. From her scent, she was wishing to be courted by a mate. The male held the nuke it had collected out to her in its mouth as an offering. With a loud and an affectionate groan, it gently locked its mandibles around the nuke. The female gingerly nuzzled the forehead of the male, and the two rubbed their heads against each other. They pressed their snouts right up against each other and chirped in unison. The female grasped the nuke with its middle limb and held it next to a bulbous glowing sac on its lower waist. Clouds of dust rose from the center of the Chinatown district as the female began digging, using her long forelimbs to shovel tons of dirt and concrete out of the way. The male returned to the air and began defensively circling the nest its mate was building. The MUTOs were distracted by the sound of an enormous boom high in the sky. A large tear had been made, and stars and the blackness of space could be seen through it. Alien forces descended through it and down to the city streets.

* * *

The Golden Gate Bridge was completely congested, full of buses and ambulances trying to make their way out of the city. Soldiers and cops were directing traffic as best they could, but it would be a while before the bridge was clear. Tension in the air spiked quickly when the alarms began to go off. Children sat cowering in the buses, wanting nothing more than to be safe and see their families again. The soldiers and police felt the same. Tony saw clouds of smoke billowing from across the water, farther in the city.

"It's here," he said. "There are still people trapped in this part of the city. And now the MUTO is-"

"Uh, Tony?" Rhodey asked, tapping him on the shoulder. "It's about to get worse." Several flocks of seagulls fluttered hysterically over the bridge, seeking the safety of the city farther in. Tony had never seen animals that scared before.

"Port side!" a soldier called from a boat sitting on the water. "200 meters!" Everyone, both civvies and soldiers, stared out at the water. Something enormous on the horizon was kicking up huge waves as it cut through the water. The fog cleared, and several serrated triangular scutes came into view. And it was heading straight for them.

"Brace!" another soldier called out. The crew of the boat grabbed onto anything solid on the boat, prepping themselves for the oncoming collision. The boats rolled with the waves undulating under them as the giant mass came to a stop. The water quickly began to settle, returning to a still calm.

"Hold your fire," a voice called out over the loudspeaker. The boats' guns rotated around to point themselves at the mass that sat on the surface. The water began to stir as the mass lifted higher into the air. It towered over the soldiers, who gazed at it in uncertainty. A skinny and spiked black mass of flesh waving through the air. It was a tail. The groan of a large boat behind them drew their attention, where they were greeted by the sight of an even larger black mass of scutes rising out of the water. This was the back. The boats were threatening to capsize from the rising mass.

"Fire, fire, fire!" The boats began to shoot the black mass that rose from the water, but the jostling water made their aim unsteady. Children screamed in terror and ducked down as a stray rocket flew through the beams of the bridge. It drifted away from the bridge and crashed down into the water behind it. Cars were pushing past each other trying to get off the bridge. Soldiers and cops scrambled out of the way of a falling beam which had been severed when a stray rocket hit it. One solitary bus was trapped behind it while the others disappeared, driving to safety. Jeeps, Humvees, and tanks took their places as they rolled onto the bridge to further protect it.

"Stryker, there's civilians on the bridge!" a soldier shouted on the radio to the boats firing wildly below. "Hold your fire!" Two more rockets came torpedoing out of control towards the bridge. The soldiers ducked down but were saved from the explosion by a huge mound of obsidian muscular flesh rising over the bridge. Smoke billowed from the edges of the scutes. Children stared in wonder, horror, and curiosity as a large dinosaur-like monster rose over the bridge.

"Open fire!" a soldier shouted. "Open fire!" Clouds of bullets rained over the thick flesh of Godzilla, but the beast seemed to feel nothing. Tony and Rhodey leapt from the top of the bridge and rocketed around its head, peppering it with gunfire. Godzilla snarled in irritation at the small things buzzing around it like flies. A tank shot the beast square in its stomach but to no avail. Godzilla growled in annoyance and grabbed one of the support cables for the bridge and shook it. A loud honk interrupted the soldiers' concentration. The last bus bounced over the fallen beam and zoomed down the road, threatening to run over anything that was in its way. The children were crying and shouting as the monster attacked the bridge but couldn't bring themselves to look away. Another blast from a tank caught Godzilla in its gills, causing it to cry out in pain. Rhodey shot a rocket from the launcher on his back into the creature's nose. Blood and mucus dribbled from its snout, which it pawed at in irritation. Godzilla roared with anger and shook the bridge more violently, sending a few soldiers toppling over the side and down into the water. Tony and Rhodey flew around the giant beast and shot at every possible weak point that JARVIS could think of, but nothing deterred the creature. A Humvee crumbled up like a crushed soda can when Rhodey slammed into it, swatted at by Godzilla. Tony flew down to his best friend and helped him to his feet, but they then felt themselves falling for the water. With a monstrous and angered roar, Godzilla stomped through the bridge, tearing it in half. The most famous San Francisco landmark, totaled. Vehicles and servicemen fell with incredible speed into the water below. The boats were scrambling to save who they could, with some soldiers surviving the fall while others did not make it. Two soldiers inside a tank were banging on the metal, trying desperately to escape. Water was filling the inside, and it wouldn't be long before they drowned. A groan could be heard as the metal hatch was torn off, and two metal hands grabbed the soldiers and pulled them from their death trap. With breakneck speed, the soldiers were lifted from the water and placed safely onto a nearby boat, courtesy of Iron Man. Rhodey delivered another fortunate soul to a boat across the way and then dove back into the water to search for more. The suits allowed Tony and Rhodey to save many soldiers from death, but many were ultimately claimed by the watery depths.

A deafening boom resonated through the air, and the soldiers beheld the sight of an enormous rift in the sky. Large snake-like creatures flew through the portal and circled over the city.

"Oh man!" a soldier shouted. "It's New York all over again!"

* * *

The portal device was squarely fastened onto the roof of a tall skyscraper overlooking Chinatown. Loki examined it closely, making sure every part they had gathered and assembled from Yucca Mountain was in its proper place. Thanos stood to the side and gazed at the sky in anticipation. He longed to lead the armies of the Chitauri and scour this world. And with the aid of the MUTOs at his side, crushing the Avengers would be nothing to him.

"You're sure you assembled it properly?" Thanos asked.

"I gleamed the knowledge from the Tesseract itself," Loki said. "And I had plenty of time to get it right on the trip here." Loki ran his hand over the device, feeling the smooth contours of the machine. "I've made a few improvements with this design. It won't be as easy to disarm as before."

"Let's hope not," Thanos said. Loki ignored him, allowing his machine to do the talking. With a tap of his scepter, a blue burst of energy flew from the machine and ascended high into the sky. A rift leading to space tore through the blue of the atmosphere, accompanied by a boom louder than a bomb detonating. Chitauri forces began to pour from the heavens, with the roars of ravenous Leviathan creatures echoing over the battered city.

"Excellent," Loki hissed. "And now, my army shall take this city!" Loki felt his throat being crushed.

"It is not YOUR army," Thanos said, his meaty hand wrapped around the Jotun's skinny neck. "It is mine. This world belongs to Thanos." Loki scowled at him with great hatred.

"You-" he said between breaths. "You betrayed me!"

"As was my intent from the start," Thanos gloated. "And you fell for it. Thanos works alongside no man, save for his love Death. And the purging of this world will make a fine tribute to her beauty." Loki began to curse at the titan, but Thanos did not allow him to finish as he threw the Jotun off the building and down to the streets below. His swears grew faints and eventually silent as he fell like a rock. Thanos chuckled to himself and stared at the twinkling stars on the other side of the portal.

* * *

Admiral Stenz was at his wits' end. The two MUTOs had made it into the city, with Godzilla in tow. Loki and Thanos had managed to activate a portal, and Chitauri were now pouring into the city like New York two years ago. To make matters infinitely worse, there was now a live nuke in the heart of San Francisco. If the nuclear device detonated, the entire California coast would be uninhabitable for years. And with so many people still trapped in the city, the casualties would be enormous for everyone. What made this problem even worse was when Clint and Natasha had debriefed them about the egg sac. Now, there was the problem of these things hatching and growing. They had pulled the rug right out from under him. Soldiers and SHIELD agents were scrambling to and fro, while Admiral Stenz sluggishly plodded along. He felt utterly exhausted and defeated. No tricks up his sleeve or any plans at his disposal. His one good hand gone.

"What do I do now?" he asked himself. He rubbed his wrinkled forehead, struggling to imagine a plan. Any plan. Slowly, he looked up and saw Serizawa and Vivienne staring out at the city. The words the scientist had told him began to creep back into his mind. Initially, he had dismissed them. But now, he needed anything that could provide even a remote chance. Quietly, he took his place beside them. Vivienne looked to Serizawa and him with intense worry. Serizawa held a softer expression on his face but was equally distraught inside. "This alpha predator of yours, doctor. Do you really think it had a chance?" Serizawa looked to the admiral, surprised that he was now taking his idea seriously. He did understand, though, as desperation and fear will make a man take any viable option. Vivienne looked at him, uncertainty on her face. Her years of training and research had not prepared her for the scale of peril that San Francisco was facing, and she was terrified. Serizawa sighed softly.

"The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around." Serizawa had seen man try to trump and change nature time and again. Of man distancing itself from what ushered in its existence. Nature was a cruel mistress, keeping humanity in its place through hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. And now Godzilla. While man of science, he held a spiritual belief that nature was a connected being. Man tried to control and warp it all too often, with deforestation and terraforming. Nuclear testing and the devastating effects of the weaponry would horribly sicken nature. Humanity would callously toy with its environment, never fixing its mistakes or helping preserve it. Leaving forests barren and oceans littered with trash. Smog hanging over citied, poisoning the peoples' lungs. Disrupting the natural environment with invasive species, destroying a natural construction project. As humanity grew bigger, so did its needs and ambition. But with these increases did the connection between man and nature shrink. Man treated nature like a resource to be used more than a concept vital to survival. Godzilla represented something pure and eternal in nature. The raw power and possibility of it. Something wild beyond control. His father had become obsessed with the creature when he first encountered it back in the 50s, viewing it as some sort of higher natural being. Yet Serizawa had always felt uncertain as to what Godzilla truly was. A savior? A destroyer? Or a mere animal. He knew what he wished to believe but had never been sure. All he knew is that they needed Godzilla. The world needed Godzilla. Now more than ever.

"Let them fight."

* * *

**Author's Note: Added a chapter about the train ride because I felt my story was being rushed. I wanted more plot and character development. So I took this chapter down, put that chapter up, and re-uploaded this one.**

**There's nothing new in this chapter. Just a re-upload with some minor unimportant details being changed. So if you've read this chapter, no need to reread it. This weekend, I'll hopefully have the story finished. No promises, though.**


	16. Let Them Fight: Part 1

The darkness of an encroaching storm hung over San Francisco, but the city was glowing with the light of fires and Chitauri gunfire. Police and military forces in the city were being pushed back by the overwhelming force of the encroaching invaders. With the MUTOs' EMP field playing havoc with their technology, progress was slow. The Helicarrier's repulsion field was not equipped to handle the combined force of two MUTOs. Thanos stood at the roof of the building, laughing as his army poured from the sky and washed over the city. With what little magic he could muster, Loki managed to indoctrinate a small force of Chitauri to fight both the humans and Thanos' forces. A multitude of battles raged in the city. Loki against the humans and Thanos. Thanos against Loki and the humans. The humans against Loki and Thanos. With Godzilla slowly approaching the shore, the battle would soon become a full scale war.

SHIELD agents and soldiers on the ground managed to hold a small spot by the docks, keeping back the Chitauri. The soldiers were weary from fighting these aliens, whose weaponry far outclassed their own. They would find the score to soon be equaled. With a thundering boom from the sky, Thor zipped through the clouds like a rocket and landed on the concrete before them. A torrent of water burst from the bay as the Hulk climbed out. The two looked out towards the water and saw a boat speeding towards them. The boat came to a halt, with Steve, Natasha, and Clint onboard. Tony and Rhodey in their armored suits rocketed the boat to shore to compensate for all electronic systems being compromised by the MUTO's EMP field. The soldiers and SHIELD agents felt their morale rising now that the Avengers had assembled.

"Sir, our systems are malfunctioning from the EMP field being generated over the city," JARVIS said. Tony had difficulty understanding his AI companion on the account that his speech was very garbled. The HUD inside his helmet was very glitchy, data flying all over the screen in an incontrollable manner.

"Tony, is your suit acting up too?" Rhodey asked. He slapped his helmet, hoping it would fix the messy HUD. "We can't fight like this."

"Not to worry," Thor said, spinning his hammer swiftly. "I have a plan." Thunder boomed in the sky overhead, clouds beginning to swirl Thor's location. The clouds briefly flashed white and then faded back to darkness. A bolt of lightning struck Mjolnir. Thor absorbed the energy in the clouds and lightning overhead. He lowered his mighty hammer, which crackled in his hand. Slowly, he raised it and pointed it at the two. Sparks leapt from it.

"Uh, what's he doing?" Rhodey asked nervously. Tony held up his hand.

"Relax," he said. "We've done this before."

"Wait, what?" Without warning, a bolt of lightning erupted from Mjolnir and struck Tony and Rhodey. The two fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the energy they were struck with. The HUDs in their helmets spazzed out wildly, making it look like an even larger incoherent mess. Sparks burst from any and all crevices in the armor. Thor's lightning subsided, and the two rose to their feet.

"Power at 400% capacity," JARVIS said. The HUD had become streamlined and coherent once more, with all systems functioning at way above normal levels. Tony cracked his neck and popped his fingers. Rhodey looked at his armor to find anything broken. The paint was burnt, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. In fact, he actually liked the burnt paint. It reminded him of the old War Machine armor.

"How bout that," Rhodey said.

"Told you," Tony said. "Thanks, big guy." Thor nodded. "Alright, Cap. What's the plan?" Steve walked to the front of the group, shield in hand. He addressed the crowd of soldiers gathered around.

"Who's your commanding officer?" Steve asked. An older looking man came forth.

"That would be me, sir," he said.

"I need a debrief," Steve said.

"Our forces are getting beat bad," he said. "The Chitauri far outnumber us, and the MUTO's EMP field keeps our tech down. Things have been a little easier on us since the Chitauri started fighting each other."

"Fighting each other?" Natasha asked.

"The Chitauri merely do what they're told," Thor said. "They're drones. They're being ordered to fight one another."

"Does that mean Loki and this Thanos guy had a falling out?" Rhodey asked.

"Works for me," Tony said. "A little civil war between them'll do us some good."

"Our biggest priority is disarming that nuke," Steve said. "The flying MUTO flew it to the center of Chinatown. No doubt to nest." Natasha and Clint telling them about the pregnant MUTO was a bombshell. Serizawa and Vivienne theorized that the nuke would be used to feed their children, seeing that it was too small to provide them any real substance. For that, they would have to go after power plants. If the nest wasn't destroyed along with the parents, the United States could end up having more than just an energy crisis. "The mechanical timer has been activated, and our boys say we've only got an hour before this thing goes off and fries the city and everyone in it. Tasha, you and Barton will lead an EOD squad into the heart of Chinatown to disarm the nuke. We get it out of there and onto a boat to be secured by SHIELD. Rhodey, you'll be providing heavy artillery for them. Take the back alleys. Avoid a firefight unless you absolutely have no choice. We can't afford to lose anyone. Rhodey, you act as spotter and keep the heat off."

"Yes, sir!" Rhodey said, saluting. Rhodey couldn't believe it. He was fighting alongside Captain America. He was taking orders FROM Captain America. He could hardly believe it.

_Maybe I should get him to sign my trading cards after all this…_

"How are we getting around the MUTOs?" Clint asked. "I don't think Mama and Papa will be okay with us just waltzing in there."

"That's where Godzilla comes in," Steve continued. "Hulk, Thor, Tony, and I will be running the gauntlet, taking out the Chitauri. Godzilla is headed for the city, and the doctors say it's gonna fight the MUTOs. They'll be so preoccupied, the nest'll be exposed. You guys sweep in and take it. Those of us on Chitauri duty will be going after Thanos or Loki, whoever comes first."

"Loki will see justice by my hand," Thor growled. "And Thanos will taste my hammer for what he's done to Midgard."

"We've all got a stake in this fight," Steve said. "Don't let it get personal. There are still civilians in the area. Those of you not running the gauntlet or on bomb detail are in charge of evac. Either get the civvies to safety or underground into the subways." The soldiers saluted him in unison. Steve saluted them back and raised his shield to the sky. "Move out!"

"This way," Natasha said, pointing at an alleyway to the left. "We'll avoid the line of sight of the MUTOs and can ambush any Chitauri, should we need to fight."

"Got our back, big guy?" Clint asked, priming his arrow. Rhodey laughed.

"You know it," he said. Rhodey took to the air, flying high enough above them to not give them away but close enough to provide covering fire. Natasha stopped before entering the alley. She turned to face Steve.

"And Steve?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Only one person gets to call me "Tasha"," she said. Steve stood there, feeling confused. Clint was thankful that his smirk of satisfaction was hidden by the shadows. The EOD squad disappeared into the alleyways. Steve, Tony, Thor, and the Hulk all led the charge through the streets, with SHIELD agents and soldiers at their backs.

* * *

Deeper in the city, the Chitauri were locked in a bitter firefight with the military. Whether they were Loki's or Thanos's, it was unclear. A soldier slid to a halt behind an overturned taxi where another soldier was ducking behind. He raised his rifle and fired, taking down one of the Chitauri with a torso shot.

"Squad leader says the Avengers are inbound," the soldier said.

"ETA?" the other soldier asked.

"Didn't get a chance to ask," the soldier replied. "They started shooting at me and damaged my radio." Farther down the road, civilians were being herded into the nearest subway station by forces on the ground.

"We need backup ASAP!" the other soldier responded, taking his turn to shoot now. Another Chitauri was felled, but not before it took a shot at him. He narrowly avoided the burst of energy from the Chitauri rifle. A garbled cackling sound echoed through the air. A black shape soaring through the sky was made visible by the fires lighting the city. The flying MUTO was perched on a tall building behind the Chitauri. The entire roof of the building collapsed, crumbling into concrete and glass. The pieces rained onto the Chitauri below, but the MUTO cared nothing for them. It was focused on something else. A familiar scent. The scent of an enemy.

It spread its wings out and flapped them, fanning the dust from the building away. It let out an angry bellow, accompanied by garbled chirping. It stared out at the ocean, its mandible pulled back into a snarl.

The ground shook vigorously, accompanied by a loud thud. A low rumbling sound came from a large shape rising from the water. The Chitauri and human forces stopped firing at each other, their attention drawn to the large reptilian beast rising from the bay. Its rough obsidian skin was shining in the firelight, damp from the salty water of the bay. It stood tall above the MUTO, its muscles rippling. Torrents of water cascaded down from its back and shoulders. Godzilla had made landfall.

It stared the MUTO down, letting out a huff and growled lowly. Its gills flared out with the flexing of its thick neck muscles. With the Chitauri distracted, the soldiers began unloading onto the invaders, taking down most of the occupying force that inhabited the upper half of the street.

"Go, go! Get those civvies underground!" Soldiers herded the civilians into the subway, getting everyone down to safety and out of the firefight. The civilians stood by the doorway, enthralled and terrified by the arrival of the giant reptile. The MUTO screeched and leapt from the building, gliding over the subway entrance and towards Godzilla. Godzilla bared its claws, holding its arms out as though it planned to catch the MUTO. It stuck its neck forward and lunged at its opponent, its jaws clamping down onto the MUTO's left shoulder. It shook its head, trying to dislocate the wing. The MUTO escaped its jaws and swiped at it with its forelimbs, to which Godzilla retaliated by swiping right back. Godzilla lunged forward again and locked its jaws back onto its shoulder.

The battle was cut short when the subway doors shut, securing the civilians inside away from both the Chitauri and the monsters.


	17. Let Them Fight: Part 2

Screeches echoed over the burning and shattered buildings that stood tall throughout the city. Clouds of dust and soot were lifted into the air as the flying MUTO glided through one of the openings between the skyscrapers. One of its wing tips cut right through a floor on an office building. Every step Godzilla took after it cracked the pavement underfoot, its thick toes slicing through the concrete as if it were butter. The MUTO circled around Godzilla, keeping it away from the nest. Every so often, it would fly in close and attempt to swat at the mighty reptile. But a quick lunge kept the MUTO back. The MUTO had learned back in Waikiki that it could not match Godzilla in single combat. Its speed was no match for Godzilla's brute strength. The ancient predator was being driven by instinct, no other thought on its mind. It sole focus was hunting the MUTO.

Godzilla's tail drifted over the squad of soldiers following it. Any Chitauri that wasn't crushed under its wide and heavy feet was riddled full of holes by the military. Farther down the city, Rhodey stood on a rooftop. The armor-clad soldier watched the large reptile plod along after the flying insect, anything in their way being reduced to rubble.

"What's the story up there, Rhodey?" Natasha asked. Her voice came loud and clear over the radio in his helmet. The signal was weak, despite being so close by. The EMP field was killing the signals and made any long range communication impossible. Tony and Rhodey's supercharged suits were able to generate enough power to communicate to each other despite the long distance.

"We're good," Rhodey said, quickly surveying the nearby rooftops and alleys. "No Chitauri in our area. Godzilla and the MUTO are deeper into the city."

"Can you get a visual on Chinatown?" Clint asked.

"Northeast," Rhodey said, staring at a cloud of smoke billowing deeper in the city. "Follow the smoke." The EOD squad shuffled through the streets with Rhodey drifting above them playing lookout. "Tony, you guys good on your end?"

"What, you kiddin'?" Tony asked, vaporizing a Chitauri head with his laser blast. Thor clubbed a Chitauri through a window as though he were playing golf. Steve's shield sliced right through a pair, and Hulk used one Chitauri to club another. "Cake." Mjolnir smashed the skull of another.

"We haven't gotten to the hard part yet," Thor said. "Loki."

"And Thanos," Steve said, deflecting a plasma blast with his shield. The perpetrator was smashed by an oncoming car, with toppled into a crowd of other Chitauri troopers. The Hulk cracked his knuckles, satisfied with his work. Soldiers filed down the street, two rows lining each side. Thor summoned Mjolnir to his hand and gave Tony's armor a slight sparking.

"This doesn't make any sense," Tony said, using JARVIS to scan for any hidden life forms. Nothing. "Where's the Leviathans? The big worm guys? The big guns? Why just small soldiers?"

"They've had ample time to send them in," Steve said, sliding the shield back onto his arm. "What are they waiting on?"

"Us," Thor said. Steve and Tony looked at him, not understanding. "This Thanos. Either him or Loki. They want a fight. With us."

"So it's an ego trip," Tony said. Steve gulped down a remark about Tony and continued down the street. They halted in their tracks, feeling the earth shake beneath them. "Godzilla?"

"No!" Thor shouted. "Look!" He pointed to the sky, where they all bore witness to a large building lifting into the sky. At the roof of the building was the device keeping the portal open. Within it was the Tesseract.

"How's that possible?" Steve asked. The HUD in Tony's helmet was acting erratically as it scanned several large structures fitted at the base of the building.

"JARVIS," Tony said.

"They appear to be propulsion devices, sir," JARVIS said. "Advanced Chitauri technology similar to that of the Helicarrier's turbines." The devices resembled an egg cut in half, thick purple tubes latched on to the sides of the building. The building was being floated to one of the points of Twin Peaks.

"Why's it headed for Twin Peaks?" Steve asked.

"Ego," Tony said. "Thanos or Loki or whoever wants to display it like a trophy."

"Precisely," a booming voice said over Tony's radio. The HUD exploded, reforming into the image of a muscular purple face. It grinned at him.

"The hell are you?" Tony asked.

"Who are you talking to, Tony?" Steve asked. JARVIS put his systems on loudspeaker.

"You are not as dense as you appear," the voice said. Thor clenched his fist around Mjolnir's handle.

"Thanos," he growled, recognizing the voice from their fight back at Janjira. The Hulk huffed.

"So you remember," Thanos boasted. "Earth's mightiest heroes. That is what Loki told me you called yourselves. And yet you have been powerless in the face of my MUTOs."

"Yeah, well, we got a monster of our own, pal," Tony said.

"I've noticed," Thanos said. Far away on a distant rooftop, the titan watched Godzilla chase the flying MUTO around the city. "Your Earth is full of surprises. I look forward to see what else I will find when I purge it of all life."

"That's not gonna happen," Steve said.

"Then come and face me!" Thanos said. "I reside in your human entertainment centers." An image of The Warfield, one of San Francisco's concert halls, appeared inside Tony's helmet. The image of Thanos disappeared from view.

"The guy certainly knows how to put on a show," Tony said. JARVIS calculated a route to the hall. "He's at a concert hall. Let's go." The thrusters in Tony's boots hummed to life.

"But what of the portal?" Thor asked, pointing Mjolnir at the floating tower.

"We gotta deal with this Thanos guy first," Tony said. "After that, we get Loki and shut down the tower. Come on!"

* * *

Thanos sat on the front stage of the concert hall, all eyes upon him. Civilians had been rounded up by the Chitauri and herded inside, forced to sit before the Mad Titan. Chitauri clung to the walls and watched over the huddled masses, keeping their weapons primed on everyone. The bodies of soldiers were lying on the cold floor, having been torn apart and crushed by Thanos and his minions. He tapped his meaty purple fingers together in anticipation. He did not wait long.

The doors burst open, with the Hulk tearing down a small portion of the wall. Tony, Steve, and Thor piled in behind him. Thanos held up his hand, halting the Chitauri from firing. He rose from his makeshift throne and stood before the Avengers. A pile of Chitauri warriors as tall as the Hulk sat outside.

"I've been waiting for this," he said, his voice booming with baritone. "We will continue our fight, Thor." He looked at the humans gathered in the center and waved them to the sides. The frightened hostages quickly scattered to the edges of the room. A large open space stood between Thanos and the Avengers.

"He looks like a big purple Hulk," Tony said. The Hulk merely huffed at him.

"We will not fight alone," Thor warned. "I have my compatriots at my side." Thanos grinned.

"So I see," he said. "The man of metal, the mindless beast, and the soldier lost from time. Where are your other friends? The girl and the man with the bow?"

"On their way to end your schemes," Steve said, pointing at him.

"Boldly said," Thanos said. "I will deal with them after I crush you. And then I shall crush that weakling Loki."

"You will NOT!" Thor shouted. With a mighty grunt, he tossed Mjolnir over his shoulder and rocketed the hammer at Thanos. The mystical weapon slammed into Thanos's thick jaw and sent him reeling back. The Hulk leapt over Thor's head and charged after him. Mjolnir whizzed past the Hulk and returned to Thor's hand. The hall was alive with the sounds of panicked screams. Thanos rose from the remnants of a crushed piano, purple blood leaking between the spaces in his toothy grin.

"Excellent!" he roared.

"We gotta get these guys outta here!" Steve said, smacking a stray plasma bolt with his shield. The bolt flew into the upper balcony, taking out a Chitauri soldier. The civilians were huddled in the corners, praying they wouldn't be hit. "Can you give me covering fire?"

"On it," Tony said, flying up to the balcony. His hands darted left and right as he pelted the alien forces with his energy blasts. Steve covered the civilians as they filed out of the doors, deflecting any plasma blasts with his shield. The civilians emerged from the hall into the arms of the soldiers waiting outside.

"What's the story out here?" Steve asked.

"We've got a perimeter as far back as McCovey Cove," a soldier said.

"Excellent," Steve said. "Get these civilians there and keep them safe until we can get evac."

"Where should we keep them, sir?" a soldier asked.

"There's a ballpark right in front of South Beach Harbor!" another soldier shouted.

"Get them there!" Steve said.

"Affirmative. Move out! Go, go, go!" The civilians were being escorted as far away from the center of the city as possible. The concert hall was slowly emptying, but many more were still isolated inside.

Thanos was holding the Hulk in a headlock, threatening to choke him into unconsciousness. Thor swung Mjolnir into the side of Thanos's head, slamming him to the ground. An enraged grin on his face, Thanos swiped Thor across the face with his thick arm. The Asgardian tumbled onto the stage like a disgarded ragdoll. The Hulk punched Thanos square in his jaw, but the Mad Titan was not dissuaded so easily. He wrapped his arm around the Hulk's, clenching the muscles in his forearms. Thanos delivered a blow to the Hulk's elbow, causing it to go numb and slack.

"Cap!" Tony shouted. "Heads up!" Placing his hands side by side, he fired a super condensed energy laser at Cap's shield. Steve raised his shield to block it, and the laser was reflected to Tony's side. He slowly tilted the shield, causing the energy laser to move. Many Chitauri soldiers were vaporized upon impact. Tony unleashed many energy blasts on the remaining Chitauri, while Steve escorted out the last of the civilians. A pained roar caught his ears as he turned and saw Thanos threatening to snap the Hulk's arm in half.

"I expected better," Thanos growled lowly, applying more pressure to his arm. A whirring sound caught his attention, and a sharp pain raced across his cheek. He turned to see a blurred circle bounce from the wall and return to Steve's hand. Purple blood dripped from the cut under his eye. He stared at the blood dripping from Steve's shield. An immense pain shot through Thanos's head from Mjolnir striking the back of his skull. With a roar, Thor leapt onto his back and held the hammer around his throat. The handle was pressing tightly against it. The Hulk freed himself and punched Thanos twice in the stomach. The Mad Titan retaliated by headbutting the Hulk and jamming his knee into his stomach. Thanos pulled Thor off his back by his cape and threw him through a wall. A huge opening in the side of the building was created. Thor rose from the pile of bricks that had washed over him. A screeching caught his ear. He looked up to see the flying MUTO pass overhead. He knew that its foe was not far behind. Thanos held the Hulk by his throat but was clocked twice in the jaw from his green fists. A rocket from Tony's suit flew to Thanos's head, detonating in his ear. A ringing sound dulled the titan's senses. Tony fell to the ground, something hitting him in the back. Plasma bolts began to rain down upon all of them. Steve peeked out from behind a fallen pillar to see a crowd a Chitauri firing upon them. A man with a golden horned helmet stood tall above them, his scepter glowing in hand.

"Loki!" Thor bellowed.

"Brother!" Loki taunted. "Isn't all this familiar?"

"Yeah," Tony said, blasting one of his soldiers. "And it's gonna end just like last time. We have a monster."

"I have TWO monsters!" Loki spat.

"You have nothing!" Thanos growled.

"Once I deal with you, I'll have everything!" With a yell, Loki leapt from the balcony. The blade of his scepter was pointed at Thanos's heart. Thanos reared back and rocketed his fist towards the trickster. Steve's shield whizzed through the small gap that was shrinking every second between them. Thanos's fist hit the shield. The immense force he struck the Vibranium shield with created shockwaves that sent them all tumbling. Thanos would not be bested so easily and rose to his feet. Loki rose as well and raced towards his rival's position, slicing through the air with his scepter. The two came within striking distance of one another. Loki stabbed at Thanos, who barely managed to strafe away from the blade. Loki stabbed at him again, with Thanos avoiding it by the skin of his teeth. A punch to Loki's face sent him to his knees, but the trickster blocked the following punch with his scepter. Thanos gripped the scepter with both hands, attempting to wrestle it away from him. Lightning sparked out from the gaps in his fingers. Thanos felt the magic building up within. His thoughts were interrupted as he fell to the ground, being dragged by his feet by the Hulk. Thor leapt over the both of them and threatened to slam Loki with Mjolnir. Loki swung his scepter out in an attempt to cleave his former brother in two. Thanos delivered a kick to the Hulk's throat, wrestling himself free. A clap of his hands sent a shockwave that threw the two Asgardians into the air and crashing into a crowd of empty seats offstage. Thanos stared at his hands. The energy he absorbed from the scepter swirled around his fingers, his palms glowing. A burning sensation in his side brought his attention back to the fight. Steve's shield ricocheted off a pillar and return to his hand. Thanos bellowed and charged after the supersoldier. He took a downwards swing at Steve, who managed to barely slide away. Thanos swung downwards again but met the same result. Steve caught his third down swing with his shield, the energy from his punch blasting the titan back. Steve felt his knees give out, his body exhausted from the sheer force of the punch. Thanos's arm was numb, having been with the same force he hit the shield with. A thud shook the building violently.

"Sir, seismic activity seems to indicate that Godzilla is approaching fast," JARVIS said. A readout of seismic activity appeared on Tony's HUD. The bars spiked wildly.

"Uh, ETA and arrival point?" Tony asked.

"Less than thirty seconds," JARVIS said, his answer accompanied by another thud. "And it appears that the monster will step on top of this building. Evacuation is recommended." A timer began to count down on his HUD.

"What part of the building?" Tony asked.

"The front half, sir." A holographic projection of the building appeared, showing a simulation of the front half collapsing. Another thud occurred, which synced up with the simulated collapse of the building. Thanos, Steve, Thor, and Loki were in that half. The Hulk pushed a collapsed pillar off of himself that Thanos had toppled over him. He began to charge but was stopped by Tony.

"I got a plan," he said. "We just need to get Thor and Steve." Tony was knocked to the ground by Steve, who had been thrown into him by Thanos with incredible force.

Another thud.

"Captain Rogers retrieved, sir," JARVIS said.

"Duly noted," Tony said with a pained groan.

Thud.

"Raaah!" Thor leapt onto Thanos's back, but the titan grabbed a handful of his blond hair. Thanos swung him over his shoulder and threw him into Steve and Tony, who had just risen from the floor. Thanos cracked his neck and knuckles. Loki rose from the collapsed seats, his body in all sorts of pain.

"You put up a good fight," Thanos boasted. "But nothing impressive. If you are the Earth's mightiest, then your planet will be a pushover, indeed. How you defeated Loki and the Chitauri under his command is beyond me."

"You'll have to take the Earth over our dead bodies," Steve warned. A grin creased Thanos's face.

"That can be arranged," he growled. "I will crush you and every human under my foot."

"Gonna step on us?" Tony asked. "Then you're gonna need some bigger boots. And, speaking of stepping…." The timer on the HUD reached zero. A loud smashing sound overtook the air, and the roof of the building rained down upon all of them. Thanos looked up and saw the bottom of a large reptilian foot descending upon him. He clenched his fists and began to glow blue. The glow was blinding to them all but was quickly snuffed out as the foot slammed into the ground with tremendous force, kicking up clouds of dust into the air. Loki watched in shock as the foot lifted up and out of the building, feeling the ground shake with the thud of footsteps. A thick tail whipped through the air as it drifted over the hole on the roof. Tony, Steve, Thor, and the Hulk looked down at where Godzilla had stepped. What remained of Thanos was a black smudge on the floor. It resembled a burn mark. An alien humming distracted them as they saw Loki and Chitauri forces escaping on their transports.

"Damnation!" Thor cursed. The Hulk roared in anger.

"One down," Tony said. Thor and Tony flew after them, with the Hulk and Steve on foot. Loki peered back at them, way ahead of them. He grinned to himself.

"At last," he said. "I am in control. And without that oaf Thanos, the Chitauri are mine!" He pointed his scepter to the sky in victory. "Send the rest!"

With nothing to hold them back, Leviathans began to pour from the hole in the sky. They snaked through the air and descended upon the city.

"And here come the big guns," Tony said. "Come on, Thor. We got worms to smash." Tony's radio crackled to life.

"Tony, it's Rhodey. We got Leviathans coming down on us. The Chitauri are really pouring down on us. We're in the thick of it."

"How close are you to the nest?" Tony asked.

"Resistance is heavy, so we're pretty damn close," Rhodey replied.

"Change of plans, boys," Tony said as JARVIS recalculated their journey. "We gotta bail out Rhodey."

"But what of Loki?" Thor asked.

"We still gotta disarm that bomb and fight those MUTOs," Tony said. "You'll get your fight." Tony began to fly towards Rhodey's position.

Two Leviathans began to charge towards Godzilla. The mighty beast was so focused on chasing the flying MUTO that it failed to notice them. One Leviathan buried its jaws in Godzilla's shoulder. The giant reptile cried out in pain and dug its claws into the Leviathan's stomach. It ripped it out and grabbed the Leviathan by its tail. Godzilla used the Leviathan like a whip and struck at the other one, cleaving it in half. Godzilla's attention drifted from the MUTO to the horde of Leviathan's flying out of the portal. With an angered roar, it began to charge after the cloud of invaders. Several Leviathans formed together into a swarm and were on a collision course with Godzilla. Godzilla raised its arm and swung down, its claws slicing clean through the top half of the lead Leviathan. Its claws dug into its bottom jaw, and it gripped it tightly. Godzilla pulled it out of its mouth roughly and swatted it aside with the back of its palm. Another Leviathan bit into Godzilla's shoulder, and with a pained roar, Godzilla tore out its stomach. A third Leviathan dug its jaws into its shoulder, and a fourth locked its jaws around the gaps in its gills. Two more drifted low to the ground and bit into Godzilla's ankles. Another bit the back of its neck. A pained cry rang out through the air. Thor, having been following Tony, turned to investigate. He was shocked to see Godzilla being swarmed by Leviathans. They flocked to him like flies on a carcass. Others were rerouting from the portal to overtake him. With every one Godzilla killed, another one took its place. It seemed endless. Thor stared on in shock and worry, fearing the mighty beast would fall. They could not defeat the MUTOs alone. They needed Godzilla.

"Thor!" Tony called out, bringing his attention back to the task at hand. "We gotta go." Thor looked back at Godzilla, crying out in pain once more. The Asgardian slowly turned back to Tony.

"Go on without me," he said.

"Wait, what?" Tony asked.

"I'll meet you there," Thor said. "There is something I must do." He swung his hammer in a circle and launched himself towards Godzilla.

"Thor, wait!" Tony said. Three Leviathans had latched themselves onto Godzilla's arm, gnawing at it like termites. Godzilla tore them away with its jaws, but more were quick to replace them. Several Leviathans were crushed like soda cans with a few swiped of Godzilla's tail, and others were crushed under its feet. And yet, the swarm was relentless. At least twenty Leviathans coated the mighty beast, their jaws digging into its flesh. The stinging of their teeth irritated the monster greatly, and their relentlessness was driving its insane. One Leviathan exploded from within as Thor rocketed clean through it. The Asgardian drifted to the highest spire of Godzilla's scutes and clung to it. Thor swung Mjolnir in a circle and pointed it to the sky. The dark clouds swirled around them in the sky, flashing with lightning. A stray bolt found its way to the head of the hammer. Thor absorbed the energy from the sky, charging Mjolnir like never before. Godzilla peered back at the tiny figure on his scute, seeing the lightning strike it. It mystified him to see one of these small creatures interacting with lightning. With a mighty yell, Thor pointed Mjolnir at the Leviathan gnawing at Godzilla's neck. The creature exploded in half, landing on the obsidian flesh and falling to the ground below. Bolt after bolt was launched from Thor's hammer and pierced the Leviathans. Raising his hammer to the sky, Thor summoned a crowd of thunderbolts that rained upon the Leviathans, killing them all. Their metal armor crunched under Godzilla's feet. The beast gnawed, scratched, and licked at its wounds, digging the teeth that had dug into its flesh. It let out a heavy sigh and scratched at its gills. Out of the corner of its eye, it saw a tiny figure standing on the corner of a small building. With great curiosity, Godzilla gingerly approached the figure that helped it. Thor found himself at a loss for words, face to face with this enormous creature. The yellow eyes glowed like fire but told a story as old as time itself. Thor could see just how old Godzilla was up close. He had been inside the creature's mind, seen what he believed to be its soul. It was an old soul. Old like Odin's. A soul that both desired peace and held the fire of a fighter. The eyes reflected this. Thor found them familiar. In that of Odin. Steve. Bruce. And himself.

"I do not know if you can understand me," Thor spoke. "But I sense what is within you. A power. The essence of a god. You are no mere animal, despite what the others say. I know, deep down, that you are no mindless beast. No monster. You are a warrior." Godzilla merely stared at him, not understanding the noises this little creature. Thor pointed to the portal, and Godzilla looked over at it. "Loki. He threatens to conquer your world. Our world. He would destroy free will and all that makes life beautiful. He had conscripted these MUTOs to help him. Your mortal enemies. If they are allowed to breed, they will consume this world's resources and destroy Midgard's future. I will not allow this to happen." Godzilla's gills twitched with its breathing. Thor wasn't sure if any of what he was saying was getting through to Godzilla, but he pressed on. "This world of Midgard. It is beautiful. The humans are flawed and dangerous. They have chased and attacked you with bombs for years. They have polluted oceans and cleared forests. They have done bad things. We Asgardians feel that we are above them, but we are not. I, myself, felt the same." Thor stared down at Mjolnir and rubbed the head of the hammer with his thumb. "In my youth, I desired war against the Frost Giants. For my callousness, I was exiled here. I met friends. Jane Foster, the woman I love. Doctor Erik Selvig, a brilliant man. Darcey Lewis. Tony Stark. Clinton Barton. Natasha Romanoff. Bruce Banner. James Rhodes. Vivienne Graham. Ishiro Serizawa. All fine men and women I have journeyed with. My good friends. And Steven Rogers. The greatest mortal I have ever met. A leader through and through. Worthy or Mjolnir itself. I do not know if you have friends, but these are people I would die to protect. Humanity is flawed, but they can become great. They are working to fix their mistakes and protect their world. I have witnessed their capacity for honor, compassion, and courage. They can become something great. But if they do not survive, we will never see that happen. So I ask you. No….. I beg you…" Thor sat Mjolnir down and dropped to his knees. He looked up at the giant beast. "Help us."

Godzilla's gills twitched with its breathing, confused by the tiny one's display. Thor rose to his feet and took up Mjolnir in his grasp. Spinning his hammer with incredible speed and force, Thor launched himself through the air and glided to Tony's position. Thor had made his plea. He just hoped he was not misguided in doing so.

* * *

An explosion launched several Chitauri soldiers into the air. Rhodey waited for his shoulder cannon to recharge and peppered the ground forces with energy blasts. Clint shot one of his specialized arrows into the eye socket of a Chitauri. The arrow shot several darts into the surrounding ground forces. Steve's shield sliced right through one Chitauri. Hulk ripped a taxi cab in half and used the pieces as boxing gloves while he smashed the Chitauri into bits. Tony was leading two Leviathans in a circle over the battle area. He zipped high into the clouds. The Leviathans were unable to react in time and smashed head first into each other. Tony looked towards the portal and saw five more Leviathans approaching.

"We got more incoming!" he shouted. Lightning rained from the sky and torched several Chitauri soldiers. Thor landed with a thud, kicking up dust. He swung Mjolnir and clocked a Chitauri in the jaw. He turned and smashed another one in the side of its head. Tony dove to the ground and landed on top of a Chitauri, roasting it with the exhaust from his boots. "Where the hell did you go, Thor?" Thor smashed another Chitauri with Mjolnir before answering.

"To make a plea," he stated. A roar pierced the air, and the Leviathans smashed through a building. A cloud of smoke and dust rose behind them from the collapsing structure.

"Did it work?" Tony asked.

"I'm not sure," Thor replied. "I can only hope." A Leviathan was racing towards them. Before it could reach them, half of its head exploded. Rhodey had blasted it with his cannon, having just recharged.

"They're coming in hot!" he warned. The Hulk threw a police car at another one but only succeeded in disorientating it. Another Leviathan came through the cloud but was quickly pulled back in by something. The Leviathans turned and roared at the cloud, but an even louder roar echoed from within. Much louder than all of theirs put together. They began to rush the cloud. One Leviathan was smashed to the ground, beaten with the body of another. Two big scaly hands reached out and grabbed two others. They were squeezed in half, their bodies thrown to the floor. The cloud dissipated, and the one responsible for their destruction was revealed to be Godzilla. Godzilla bit the head off another one and tore the stomach out of another. One last Leviathan snaked around the beast and flew for its throat. Godzilla reared back and punched it square in the mouth, shattering all of its teeth and causing it to crumple up into itself.

"I think it worked," Tony said. The Avengers plus Rhodey and the EOD squad had gathered around on the ground, staring up at the enormous monster. Godzilla stared out at the Chinatown District, where the flying MUTO was circling.

"Did it just…. save us?" Clint asked.

"Yes," Thor said. "Yes, he did." He was beaming.

"This is so bizarre," Natasha said.

"This is just now getting weird to you?" Tony asked.

"Godzilla will definitely help keep the Leviathans off our back," Steve said. "Rhodey, have you located the nest?"

"Just a couple blocks west of here," Rhodey said, pointing to their left. "SHIELD and navy ground forces are keeping the Chitauri occupied farther up, but things are getting bad."

"How so?" Steve asked.

"The Chitauri are rounding up big groups of people and taking them to Twin Peaks," Rhodey said.

"To the portal," Thor said.

"Hostages," Steve said coldly.

"But why?" Tony asked.

"Perhaps Thanos or Loki wished to gather up groups of peons to kneel before them," Thor said. "It matters little. We must rescue them."

"You guys find them?" Rhodey asked.

"We found them both," Steve said. "Loki got away, but Thanos didn't."

"Big guy stepped on him," Tony said, pointing his thumb at Godzilla. "Black smudge on the ground."

"One down," Clint said, priming another arrow.

"We've gotta disarm the nuke, take out the MUTOs, close the portal, and rescue the civilians," Steve said. "A lot on our plate, so let's get to it." Steve led the ground forces through the streets with Tony and Rhodey flying over them for air support. The Hulk scaled buildings and leapt across the rooftops. Thor stayed behind and turned back to Godzilla, looking up at the beast.

"They may not be convinced, but I see it," Thor said. "You are our only hope." Thor looked around at the crushed and mangled bodies of the Leviathans. He was impressed by the strength and ferocity of the giant. The giant that had helped them. "Thank you."

Godzilla looked down at him but merely huffed, his gills wiggling with the movement of his neck muscles.


	18. Let Them Fight: Part 3

The streets were devoid of activity. The entire Chinatown district was a ghost town. Both human and Chitauri infantry were nowhere to be seen. The MUTOs were deeply protective of the nesting site, and anything found inside it was dealt with severely. Their parental instincts were overriding the control the Tesseract had over them.

The ground forces were heading up the street towards the center of Chinatown. The heavy cloud of smoke and dust kept them hidden from the flying MUTO and the Leviathans. Loki was searching far and wide for them, wanting to continue their fight and obtain his victory.

"Thor, I want you and the Hulk here on the ground," Steve said, navigating the rubble of the streets. "In case Loki sends any big guns after us, you smack 'em down. Tony, you're with me on the rooftops. We gotta keep 'em clear. Natasha, the plan's still the same. You and Barton head into the nest and get the nuke. Rhodey, you provide the heavy artillery." A faint warbling could be heard up ahead. Steve waved them down. The ground forces took cover behind cars and chunks of rubble. Their voices were reduced to faint whispers. Clint peaked through a smashed car window and saw the silhouette of a lanky forelimb standing behind an Asian themed arch. Two dragons were touching hands at the top of it. The smoke began to drift away, and the rest of the MUTO's body came into view. It was the female. It let out a boisterous bellow, raising its head up and howling to the sky. The glowing egg sac on her abdomen began to undulate as she expelled her eggs into the hole she had dug in the center. The ground forces watched on, fascinated by the sight. A building crumbling behind them shifted their focus away. They peered down the street where they had arrived. It was completely surreal to see such a popular section of the city so desolate. Red Chinese lamps hung on lines and drifted to and fro in the breeze. A long tail swung slowly over them, fanning the smoke that hung over Chinatown. Lightning flashed in the distance, showing a silhouette of a large reptilian creature. Godzilla materialized through the smoke and stared towards the center, where the MUTO was. The roar had brought the beast here, and it was determined to strike down its ancient enemy.

"_**SKREEEEONGH!**_" it roared, the Chinese lamps shaking violently in the gust caused by the air it expelled. The lines threatened to snap in half. The female MUTO chirped and looked up from her clutch and saw Godzilla standing down the street from its nest. It screeched at the creature and lifted itself up from its nest with a bellow. The MUTO strode towards the aggressor, its forelimb smashing through the corner of a pagoda.

"Move!" Steve shouted, waving at Clint and Natasha. "Move in!" Clint vaulted over the car, priming an arrow. Natasha and the EOD squad filed in after him.

"Look!" Thor shouted, pointing Mjolnir at a swarm of faint silhouettes on the horizon. A squad of Chitauri was flying in on their vehicles, accompanied by two Leviathans. Steve made his way up a nearby fire escape where Tony was waiting on him. Thor spun his hammer in a circle in his hands, and the Hulk slammed his fists together. The female MUTO was completely unaware that its nest was being invaded by tiny creatures. Its sole fixation was on Godzilla. Its mandibles flared, drool hanging down. Godzilla held its arms out to its side, its fingers bared and ready to grab hold. The gap was shrinking swiftly between the two titans as they came ever closer to battle. The female MUTO lifted half of its bulk onto a nearby building. It positioned its back legs carefully in order to launch itself into Godzilla. With a cry, it pushed off the building and into Godzilla, but it could not force the beast back. Its sheer strength and size made it near impossible to budge backwards. Godzilla swung its right arm down and then up to the MUTO's neck, wrapping its fingers around its neck. Its biceps bulged as it squeezed down hard on the creature. Godzilla lifted the MUTO clear off its feet and dug its jaws into its right shoulder.

Chitauri flew in, pelting Steve and Tony with plasma blasts. Tony retaliated by blowing up two of their flying vehicles, taking the drivers out in an inferno. Steve threw his shield, which sliced clean through another Chitauri.

Clint and Natasha led the EOD squad after Rhodey, who was standing behind the arch. He was peering down into a massive hole dug by the female MUTO. The others lined up around him, daunted by how great of a drop it was to get down there.

"We should be able to get down there easily," Natasha said. "Scaling the rubble won't be too great a challenge. We just have to locate it."

"On it," Rhodey said. His HUD scanned the area for radioactivity. It was shaking slightly, not nearly as neat as it was on the outskirts. Being so close to the MUTO was generating interference. A signal popped up. "Through that opening." Rhodey pointed to a small house that had fallen into the hole. It had slightly collapsed, but the HUD indicated that the way to the nest was to navigate through that building. Gingerly, the crew began to descend into the hole.

Back topside, a Leviathan roared, its jaws stretched open as it raced towards Thor and the Hulk. The Hulk ripped a street lamp from the concrete, ready to pummel it. Thor spun his hammer for a few seconds before launching it at the Leviathan's head. On impact, the Leviathan crumpled in on itself, crashing into the ground and skidding towards them. The Hulk grabbed it by its jaw and tore of it before proceeding to smash it with the street lamp. On the rooftops, Tony blasted apart another transport and launched his boot square into the jaw of a Chitauri soldier. Steve pummeled one with his shield and snapped the neck of another with his bare hand.

"What's the story downstairs?" he asked over the radio.

"Made our way down south, Cap," Rhodey said. The EOD squad had scaled down the wall and was now scrambling through the small house. "Radar says we're right at the nest. We'll defuse the bomb and then bug out."

"Copy that," was the reply he received. Two soldiers busted the doorway at the back of the dilapidated house down and found themselves at the heart of the nest. The crew piled in and were amazed by the sight. The ICBM missile was hanging upside down from the ceiling, covered with small eggs that occasionally pulsed red. A soldier flashed his light onto them, seeing the baby MUTO inside shaking about. Small chirps filled the chamber. The babies were about the size of an average human being. Lines of eggs coated the entire ceiling. "Holy shit."

"One clutch could take over the entire country," Clint said, staring up at the ceiling.

"How the hell do we kill these things?" Rhodey asked.

"We worry about that after the nuke is disarmed," Natasha said. "Get it down."

"Yes, ma'am," two soldiers said as they rushed the center. The two released a latch in synchronization, causing the missile to open. The warhead descended.

"How much time we got left?" Rhodey asked. A soldier looked over the mechanical timer retrofitted to the missile, shining his flashlight over it.

"We've twenty seven mikes," he said.

"We gotta get this thing down," another soldier said.

* * *

Topside and farther away from the nest, car alarms were ringing loudly. A pile of fifteen of them was being pushed down the road by a large thin limb. The female MUTO let out a cry of distress, its small torso limbs flailing at Godzilla ineffectively. Godzilla had both of its hands on the MUTO's shoulders and was pushing it through the city, attempting to overpower it. The MUTO was unable to match its brute strength. Its front forelimbs stretched out and latched onto a pair of skyscrapers. They provided little resistance for Godzilla as the mighty beast pushed the MUTO through the gap, tearing the buildings in half. With one powerful thrust, Godzilla shoved the female MUTO to the ground. Its head fell through a glass window on the roof of a subway station, causing the material to rain down upon a frightened crowd. The civilians cried out and screamed in terror as the MUTO caught sight of them. It snapped at them, but the civilians were spared the horror of being consumed. Godzilla dug its claws into the side of its head, pulling it up and out. The MUTO wrestled itself out of its opponents grasp but was kicked back down to the ground. Godzilla pinned it down with its muscular leg, threatening to cave the MUTO's torso in from the pressure. The MUTO screeched in panic, flailing its small torso limbs. Steve and Tony watched the spectacle unfold, amazed by such a battle. Godzilla felt itself dragged off the MUTO and through the streets. The flying MUTO had wrapped its forelimbs around its stomach and pried it off its mate. In retaliation, Godzilla bit into its back leg, preventing it from flying away. The flying MUTO wrapped its forelimbs around its neck and bit the back of it, struggling to get free. The female rose from the ground and let out a trumpeting howl as it charged the reptilian beast. Caught off guard, Godzilla fell into a pair of buildings, causing them to collapse. The flying MUTO hovered over them both, perched on another building. Godzilla hissed at the female and rose to attack it, but the male pounced on its back. Godzilla turned to lunge at it, but the female landed a solid blow into its back.

The roof of the nest caved in a little from the fight happening above. Natasha and Clint were waving the EOD squad out as they escorted their radioactive package, having just been taken down from the ceiling.

"Careful," Rhodey said. "Sit it down easy. In 3, 2, 1…" The soldiers gingerly lowered it to the floor.

"You're up, boys," Natasha said. The EOD squad went to work, determined to disarm the nuke. They pulled at the metal panels covering the timer, tugging furiously at them. They continued to pull, but they refused to budge.

"Sealed shut," a soldier said. "We need time to get this open-" Rhodey shoved them aside and wrapped his fingers around the panels. The strength his suit gave him allowed him to rip the panels clean off. The soldiers were amazed by his display and went to work disarming it.

"Cap, we've got the nuke," Rhodey said into his radio. "We're working on disarming it."

"Excellent," Steve replied. "Hear that, guys? The nuke's being dealt with."

"Wait!" Thor said. "Do not disarm it!" The soldiers looked up from the warhead, perplexed by what they just heard.

"Is he nuts?" a soldier asked.

"Thor, this thing's gonna blow if we don't," Steve said.

"We need to shut the portal," Thor said. "Remember what we did last time?"

"Wait, you mean launch it into space?" Rhodey asked.

"Okay, I did it last time and almost died, so not it," Tony said.

"I'll do it," Thor said. "I'm more capable." The radio was silent for a while, with no one sure of what to say.

"Cap?" Rhodey asked.

"You heard the man," Steve said. "Get it topside. Thor'll run it through the portal."

"You heard him," Rhodey said. "Let's move!" The EOD squad, with Rhodey's help, lifted it off the ground and proceeded to carry it out the entrance. Natasha and Clint hoisted a bookcase out of the way of the exit. Clint stared up at the ceiling, fixated on all the eggs. Even if they dealt with the nuke, the portal, and the monsters, these eggs still posed serious problems.

"Clint!" He turned to see Natasha at the entrance. Rhodey and EOD squad had made their way out of the nest with the nuke. "Come on! We're in the clear!" Clint looked back at the eggs and then back to her.

"I got a plan," he said. "We gotta deal with these things!"

"How?" she asked. "We don't have enough firepower to take them out." Clint's gaze lingered over to a gasoline truck that had fallen into the hole.

"Oh, I think we do," he said with a smirk. "Stand back." They both inched away from the tanker. Clint primed an arrow into his bow and set it free. The arrow punctured the valve keeping the gasoline inside and began to pour out into the nest.

"Okay, now what?" Natasha asked. Clint primed another arrow, switching it to the flare setting.

"Now, we got topside," he told her.

* * *

The flying MUTO was stabbing at Godzilla's back as it fought the female. Godzilla turned and lunged for the male, which fluttered out of distance. The female MUTO charged at Godzilla, smashing its ancient opponent into a building. It collapsed onto Godzilla, throwing tons of ash and dust into the air. Steve and Tony looked on in shock.

"He's in trouble!" Thor bellowed as he watched the fight.

"We can't do anything," Tony said. "We're far too outmatched."

"So we do nothing?" Thor replied. The flying MUTO lifted into the air and pounced onto Godzilla while the female pummeled it with its forearm. Godzilla was unable to rise, being kept down by their teamwork.

"Tony, the nuke is clear of the nest," Rhodey said over the radio. "We're topside."

"Get out of Chinatown," Tony said. "Get that nuke as far away as possible from here."

"Any Chitauri in the area?"

"Not yet, but they're inbound. We'll cover you." The nuke was being taken up the street on the other side of the nest, far away from the monster battle that raged on the other side. A hand emerged from the edge of the hole. Clint lifted himself up and out, lowering another hand to pull Natasha out with him. The two rose to their feet and stared at the fight happening across the way. Godzilla looked to be in real bad shape.

"This doesn't look good," Natasha said. Clint drew his bow.

"Maybe he could use a little help," Clint said. He shut one eye and aimed down the hole.

"Are you sure you can make it?" she asked.

"I'm the best marksman in the world," he bragged. "We'll find out, though." The arrow whistled through the air as it fled his bow. They found their answer quickly when a wall of fire exploded loudly from the nest, sending the two SHIELD agents flying through the air. The air hummed with a loud boom.

"_Zrrrrrk?" _The female MUTO saw a strange light flare up out of its peripheral and turned. A frightened screech came from her throat as it saw a cloud of fire rise up from its nest. Its offspring were in danger. Godzilla was completely forgotten as the female charged towards the center of Chinatown, crying out in panic. The flying MUTO watched its mate flee and then took off after it, flying around the nest. More panicked trumpets left the female as it came to the hole's edge and lowered itself down to peer inside. The inside was glowing orange from the inferno. It looked inside and let out a pained cry as it saw what had happened. The nest had been incinerated, with every egg destroyed. The future of its species. Destroyed. The female MUTO rose from the hole and lifted its head to the sky, crying out in sorrow. It dipped its head back inside and began moving pieces of rubble.

"_Aaaark!"_ it barked. "_Aaark!_" It cried out in pain and anger, combing the ruins to find whatever was responsible for this. A battered Clint and Natasha rose from the dusty ground, their bodies sore from the impact. Silently, they shuffled away from the nest. Clint's leg gave out, and he collapsed onto a pillar. The weight pushed onto it caused it to smash into a window on the second floor of a nearby building. "_Zrrrrk?_" The MUTO looked up and saw two small figures illuminated by the fire. It slowly leaned in towards them, its mandibles flared. A sinister clicking rang from inside its throat. On instinct, Natasha raised her pistol. Clint readied an arrow.

"Mommy's very angry," he said.

"I can't blame her, honestly," Natasha said. Clint glanced over at her.

"This remind you of Budapest as well?" he asked.

"The monster's a little different?"

"A little, huh?" Clint asked, with a slight laugh. He turned back towards the MUTO, which inched closer and closer to them. Its mandibles twitched furiously. It meant to kill. "Tasha…." Clint searched for the right words to say. He figured they wouldn't have long. Figured it was the right time to tell her. Tell her what he had been scared of admitting for so long. "There's something I gotta say. I…." Clint was interrupted by the sound of thunder. The orange light from the fire had been replaced with that of a blinding blue. The MUTO turned slowly, distracted by the sound and new light. A long tail lifted high above the MUTO. Grooves in the scutes that lined the tail were glowing blue. A low whirring sound hummed in the air and increased in volume as the glow climbed up the tail and up to the back.

"Sir, unknown energy spike detected," JARVIS said. The HUD in Tony's helmet locked on to a large mass standing behind the MUTO. An x-ray showed a large blue glowing pulse emanating through the body, with the strongest concentration being at the heart. The heart beat at a dangerously fast pace. Steve, Thor, and the Hulk looked on in wonder and curiosity.

High above the sky, SHIELD agents were all gathered around Coulson, Nick Fury, and Agent Hill as they stared at the readout on the holographic display. The energy coming from down below was stronger than anything man could create.

"The hell?" Fury asked quietly.

"Sir, what's happening?" Agent Hill asked.

"I have no clue," was the response.

The smoke cleared away, and flashes of lightning in the sky revealed the giant to be Godzilla, risen and ready to fight once more. Godzilla stood tall over the female MUTO, its back straightened. The MUTO reeled back in surprise, taken aback by the creature's tenacity. Godzilla opened its mouth and leaned back, inhaling deeply. With the sound of a lightning bolt striking metal, a bright blue napalm like substance erupted from Godzilla's mouth and struck the MUTO. The eyes were glowing brightly.

"Whoa!" Fury shouted.

"HOLY SHIT!" Agent Hill shouted. The Helicarrier had erupted in cries of shock and surprise. Tony's HUD was going nuts, analyzing the properties of the blue energy. It was hotter and more powerful than anything Tony had ever encountered.

"The substance seems to be a beam composed of superheated radiation," JARVIS stated. "Analysis seems to indicate the radiation contains incendiary, explosive, and kinetic properties."

"JARVIS, figure out how I can do that," Tony said.

"Sir, the heat produced by the beam would be so intense that you would be incinerated upon impact-"

"Figure out how I can do it, JARVIS," Tony stated.

The female MUTO shuffled back from Godzilla, trying its hardest to inch away from the intense heat. But its body was in such massive pain that it could hardly move. Godzilla slowly stomped towards it, not relenting on the atomic breath. The MUTO's carapace was protecting it from having its internal structure damaged, but the atomic breath was heating up the carapace. If Godzilla couldn't be stopped, the MUTO would boil alive from the inside out.

The EOD squad with Rhodey looked back at the source of the light and were amazed to see what they thought was fire coming out of Godzilla's mouth.

"Holy shit, do you see that?" a soldier shouted.

The beam stopped. The MUTO shook its body in an attempt to cool off and lunged at Godzilla. The lightning sound rang out again as Godzilla belched its atomic breath at the MUTO. The impact was so intense that the female MUTO collapsed onto the ground. Natasha and Clint wasted no time fleeing the scene. The MUTO looked up at Godzilla and cried out in desperation. Godzilla halted the discharge of atomic energy and stood over the MUTO, peering down at it with great fury. Out of the mass of smoke behind Godzilla, the flying MUTO emerged and pounced onto its back. Godzilla wrestled itself free and swiped at the MUTO perched on the roof of a nearby building. A corner of the roof collapsed from the force of Godzilla's swipe. The MUTO leapt into the air, attempting to lead its opponent away from its mate, but found its legs caught in Godzilla's grasp. The giant reptile pulled the MUTO in and bit into its shoulder, threatening to shatter the obsidian carapace.

The Avengers were fleeing the center of Chinatown, dozens of Chitauri pouring out of the cracks and crevices of the streets and buildings. The team provided covering fire for the EOD squad as they escorted the warhead out of the Chinatown District. An ominous chirping sound reached their ears. The Chitauri turned to see the female MUTO rising from the center, smoke emanating off its carapace. With an angered hooting, the female slowly crept towards the Avengers. The Chitauri were crushed under its feet. A Leviathan attempted to snake its way around the MUTO but found itself being snapped in half by the female's sharp mandibles. It was now engulfed in rage, and anything remotely close to it would be destroyed.

The flying MUTO circled around Godzilla and tackled it from the front, digging its mandibles into its gills. Godzilla howled in pain but was able to snap its jaws into the MUTO's wing. The male cried out in agony as Godzilla swung it around and threw it. Disorientated at first, the MUTO regained control and kicked off the side of a building, flying away from Godzilla. It clicked loudly and began to circle around, getting ready to divebomb the giant reptile. Godzilla watched it grow closer and saw that it would pass right beside a giant skyscraper. An idea formed in the creature's head. Godzilla snarled at the approaching MUTO, its teeth bared and its nostrils flared. Slowly, it turned and walked away, as if it meant to leave. The MUTO let out a screech and pounced towards Godzilla's back. By the time it noticed the tail, it was too late. With incredible speed, Godzilla smashed its thick enormous tail into the MUTO, causing it to slam into the skyscraper it was flying beside. The sheer force from the tail whip was so powerful that the MUTO had been killed on impact. The MUTO was caught on the side of the skyscraper, rebar and concrete jammed right through its neck. Its right forelimb fell clean off its body, severed by the rubble. Its wings drooped and hung to the ground. A gust of air left its larynx, making a low winding whirring down. Its head hung low, drool hanging from its mouth. The red markings on its head lost their contrast and eventually grew dark.

* * *

Charred and broken Chitauri corpses littered the streets. And yet, many more were taking their places. The Avengers had been backed into a corner with the warhead, with very little space to maneuver. Hovering over them and the warhead was the female MUTO, its mandibles pulled back into a snarl. High above them all was Loki, standing on his transport. He was eager to see the MUTO tear his brother and the others apart. He was curious as to where the other MUTO and the giant reptile beast were. Loki scanned the horizon, but the fog of smoke made it difficult to see anything. But it mattered little to him. His victory would soon be upon him.

The MUTO trumpeted in anger, holding its jaws open and baring its mandibles. Thor spun his hammer. Clint strung his bow, and Natasha reloaded her pistol. The Hulk cracked his knuckles, and Steve gripped his shield. Tony and Rhodey primed their suits' weapons, ready to go down fighting.

"Never figured it would end like this," Steve said.

"It's been an honor," Clint said.

"I better survive this, or Pepper's gonna kill me," Tony joked. The MUTO lowered its head, eager to tear the Avengers to pieces, when it was halted by a sharp pain in its shoulder. Its growls were silenced to whimpers from how intense the pain was. The Avengers looked at each other in confusion as to why it stopped. Loki glared at the beast.

"Why do you stop?" he yelled. "Kill them! Obey me!" He used his scepter to part the smoke and was greeted by a frightful sight. Locked around the MUTO's shoulder was the jaws of Godzilla. The beast had locked its hands around the MUTO's neck and pulled it away from the tiny figures below. The MUTO snapped at him, but Godzilla punched it once. Twice. Three times in its forehead. The pain to its skull was disorientating. A blow to its stomach from Godzilla's knee knocked the air clean out of it. Godzilla gripped its bottom jaw and began to pull down while pulling at its top jaw. The MUTO's shell was groaning from the pressure, threatening to snap. A faint whirring sound kicked up and then grew louder and louder. Godzilla lifted its head back and opened its mouth, launching its atomic breath down the MUTO's throat. Its body twitched and then slackened almost immediately. The MUTO was being microwaved from the inside out, its organs being liquefied. The atomic breath began to eat through the tears made in the neck by Godzilla's bites and then severed the head clean off. The body slumped to the ground. No blood leaked out from the severed neck. The head from the breath was so intense that it cauterized the wound. It died before it had a chance to bleed. Godzilla gripped the MUTO's head by its jaw, holding it like a trophy.

A roar of victory shook the city solid. Godzilla's muscles ripped like waves in the ocean from the intensity of the roar. The beast relaxed its hand and let the severed head drop, smashing several cars when it hit the ground. Godzilla raised its leg into the air and stomped down hard on the head, smashing it to a pulp. Loki stared in disbelief at what had become of the MUTO. He could hardly believe what he had witnessed. He turned to see the city of San Francisco start to glow, the lights returning to the city. With both MUTOs dead, the EMP field was gone. Power had come back. Loki felt his victory ebbing away. He turned his vehicle and darted swiftly for the tower, gathering the Chitauri forces to protect himself and the hostages he had procured.

The crew of the Helicarrier shouted and cheered with joy as they watched the city lights return. The EMP field was no longer detected.

"All able bodied personnel, this is Director Fury. Send any and all transports to the city. We're evacuating the city. Search and rescue any survivors."

Admiral Stenz watched in disbelief as he saw the city begin to glow again. The soldiers exploded in applause and cheering, as though it were the Fourth of July. Vivienne was jumping for joy and clapping, squealing like a school girl. Serizawa stared at the city, a great sigh of relief escaping his chest.

"I knew it!" Vivienne said. "You were right, Sensei!" A small smile creased Serizawa's face.

"Doctors," Admiral Stenz said. "We're going in to evacuate civilians. I want you with me on the first boat out there." The two doctors nodded and followed the admiral to the boat.

The Avengers gathered around the nuke, watching the sky in disbelief. The city was glowing once more.

"I'll be damned," Tony said.

"Son of a gun," Steve said. "We did it."

"Not yet," Thor said, patting the nuke. "That portal must be shut."

"And then we deal with Loki," Rhodey said.

"So how are you getting the nuke through that portal?" Natasha asked. Thor climbed onto the warhead and began to spin Mjolnir.

"So the Doctor Strangelove method," Tony said. "If anybody told me I'd be watching a Viking ride a nuke into outer space, I'd slap them silly."

"I still owe you a slap for making me watch The Phantom Menace," Steve said. Tony suppressed a laugh.

"You actually watched it," Tony said.

"We both did," Steve said, pointing to Thor.

"Aw, don't be so bitter," Tony said, patting Steve on the shoulder. "Tell you what. After this, I'll give you a REAL list of movies to watch. Actual good movies."

"You're being serious this time?" Steve asked.

"Of course, pal," Tony said smiling.

"Well, what movies?" Steve asked. Tony bit his cheek, trying not to smile.

"Well, have you ever heard of Adam Sandler?"

"I could use a boost," Thor said, nodding at the Hulk. The Hulk huffed and lifted the warhead high above his head, holding it like a football. "Ready?" The Hulk nodded. "Go!" The green giant reared back and threw the nuke through the air. Thor finished spinning his hammer and then pointed it at the portal, launching himself. The combined force of the Hulk's throw and Mjolnir sent the warhead speeding up like a rocket. The air was whooshing loudly by his ears, his golden locks waving wildly in the wind. It wasn't long before Thor and the warhead phased right through the portal. The darkness of space and the twinkling of the stars took some getting used to, as did the oxygen difference. The warhead was racing towards the giant battle station in charge of keeping the Chitauri drones in operation. Thor spun his hammer once more, building up incredible speed. The Asgardian kicked off from the warhead and launched himself back through the portal with the aid of Mjolnir. The warhead, with the added boost, made a beeline towards the Chitauri battle station.

* * *

"LOKI!" Thor shouted as he rocketed out of the portal. Loki heard a voice shout for him and turned to see his brother slam into him. The brothers wrestled as they flew through the air and crashed on the rocky ground at the top of one of the Twin Peaks. Loki rose to his feet before Thor but was rewarded with a solid blow to his chest by Mjolnir. He tumbled through the dirt, gasping for air. "Back!" Thor waved the crowd of people away from them. Loki must have gathered about a hundred people. They weren't able to move far, as the Chitauri had their guns aimed at them. Anyone that tried to escape would be vaporized. "What do you plan for these people?"

"I planned to make them my servants," Loki said. "I had gathered them, wanting them to watch the city as it was destroyed by my Chitauri and the MUTOs." Chitauri guardsmen filed in around Loki, surrounding Thor.

"Your chance at victory is gone, Loki," Thor warned. "Deactivate the portal and give yourself up. I can offer you mercy."

"Mercy?" Loki scoffed. "I am the one in control here! I hold these peoples' lives at stake. With one word, I can have them all slaughtered! You hold no authority here." An arrow pierced a Chitauri skull while another one had a bullet go right through its eye. A shield sliced through the neck of one, and two others were incinerated by energy blasts. A roar shook through the air, and three Chitauri bodies were thrown at Loki's feet. The crowd parted, revealing the Hulk. Tony, Rhodey, Clint, Natasha, and Steve all piled in behind Thor. The Avengers had assembled.

"I'm sorry," Tony said. "What was it that you hold?" Loki glared at the lot of them, gripping his staff tightly.

"Chitauri!" he shouted, pointing his staff at the crowd. "Fire!" As soon as he gave the order, the Chitauri slackened and dropped to the floor. Loki looked down at their limp bodies and then back at the Avengers, looking horribly confused.

"Tick, tick, boom," Clint said, pointing up at the portal. A fireball could be seen on the other side. The warhead had detonated. The Chitauri battle station was destroyed. Without it, the invading forces were no longer operational.

"So you think you've won?" Loki shouted. "I need no Chitauri to best you! You are all beneath me! I am a God! You mere mortals cannot best me!" The Avengers let him continue ranting, watching him slip deeper and deeper into denial.

"Maybe us "mere mortals" can't take you down," Tony said. "But I think HE can." Tony pointed behind Loki. An enormous shadow fell over all of them. The civilians huddled close to each other and ducked down, afraid by what was hulking over them. Loki saw the shadow coating all of them and feared what he would find. Ever so slowly, he turned his head to meet what was behind him. A large scaly palm came flying down towards him and slammed into the rocky ground. The hand raised up only to come down hard upon Loki again. And again. And a fourth time. The mountain shook with the force of the beating. Loki was embedded in the rock, his battered body in the center of a large handprint made in the side of the mountain. He let out the tiniest most pathetic whimper any of them had ever heard. Every part of his body screamed in pain. And just when he thought it was over, a scaly fist came down onto him. Loki was flattened solid by the punch. The dust that had been kicked up was settling, and Godzilla stood tall above them all. The Avengers looked down into the crater, not envious of the state Loki was in. Thor gazed up at Godzilla, noticing just how tired the beast was. Godzilla's body heaved with every breath it took. More tired than it had been in years. Its breathing was incredibly heavy. A cracking sound rang out above him. Godzilla turned and saw the enormous floating building start to fall. With the Chitauri battle station destroyed, there was nothing keeping the devices fitted to the tower operational. It was falling out of the sky. And right onto the crowd of people at the top of the mountain. The crowd began to shout and scream as the building came racing towards them. Tony thought frantically of a way to stop them from dying. Thor and Steve were brainstorming like crazy. Nothing. They were all doomed, condemned to death. Loki would have the last laugh. Tony had JARVIS ring up Pepper as fast as he could. Steve held his shield up in an attempt to protect himself. Clint and Natasha embraced one last time. Thor ran to Loki's side. The lives of everyone flashed before their eyes. Each person waited for the end. For the building to collapse onto them. They heard it begin to crumble and break. But they felt nothing. Slowly, they all began to open their eyes and saw before them a spectacular sight.

Godzilla was on top of them, holding its enormous bulk up with its arms. The building had collapsed and broken onto its back, and it struggled to hold it up. High in the sky, the portal had evaporated and shut. The device keeping the portal open had been destroyed when the building collapse. The amazed crowd of people looked amongst themselves. No one was hurt. They were all safe.

"He saved us," Thor whispered softly.

"I don't believe it," Tony said. For once, the sarcastic billionaire playboy was speechless and humbled by such a display. The crowd of people were silent and slowly approached the mighty beast. Its breathing was slow and soft. Its eyes were barely open, the yellow glow growing dull. A loud cracking sound rang through the air. The people stepped back as they saw a huge crack running through the mountain peak. The land began to give way under Godzilla. With a screech, the mighty beast toppled over and fell off the mountain. The building and the rock rained down onto the animal.

"NOOOO!" Thor shouted, staring down the mountain. Godzilla hit the bottom of the mountain with a deafening thud, as though a bomb had went off. Clouds of dust scattered through the city, obscuring the view of the reptile. The Avengers had all gathered at the edge, watching. Waiting for the dust to clear. Slowly, it did. Godzilla sat at the bottom of the mountain, crumpled in on itself. It was lying on its side, rubble and ruin sitting on one half of its body. Thor fell to his knees, distraught and in deep pain at such a sight. The Avengers bowed their heads in reverence. "Is he dead?"

"JARVIS," Tony said softly. The HUD brought up a holographic display of Godzilla, showing a menagerie of statuses.

"Heartbeat is low, sir," JARVIS replied. "Vital signs seem to be fading."

* * *

The city was alive with the sound of alarms. Fire trucks and ambulances raced through the streets, tending to those that needed tending. Helicopters buzzed across the city, searching for and rescuing civilians. The storm was fading. No rain or thunder. No darkness. The sky was grey. A dreary day if there ever was one.

At the base of Twin Peaks, a crowd of people had gathered. They stood and stared in shock and silence at the body of Godzilla, having just fell from the mountain. A helicopter carrying Steve Martin and his cameraman Victor "Animal" Palotti were covering the aftermath of the battle that had raged on in San Francisco. Godzilla didn't seem to be breathing. No one could tell. Small children peeked out from behind their parents. A priest stood near the front, uttering a prayer for the people and the beast. An old man in a wheelchair wheeled himself to the front, determined to see the sight before them.

"Mommy, is the dinosaur dead?" a child asked with genuine concern.

"I don't know, dear," the mother replied. A golden retriever stood in the crowd of people, looking at the body and whimpering. The crowd parted as the Avengers, with Loki in cuffs, made their way through. They slowly approached the body of Godzilla. Its eyes were shut. Thor bowed his head and sighed with great pain.

"You were, until the end, a hero," he whispered. "You are an Avenger." A voice rang out over a loudspeaker.

"Clear the way!" it said. The crowd parted as a line of tanks and missile launchers made their way to the front, their sights aimed on Godzilla. Several SWAT cars and army transport vehicles surrounded the area. The SWAT members followed the tanks and erected a wall of riot shields to keep the people back. Soldiers filed in and aimed their guns at Godzilla. Following them was Admiral Stenz with Serizawa and Vivienne in tow. He lowered the megaphone he was carrying. "Excellent work, Avengers. We've got them." Thor looked around at the missile launchers primed and ready to fire. He did not like the look of them.

"What are these?" Thor asked, pointing Mjolnir at the missile launchers.

"Transporter erector launchers," Admiral Stenz answered. "They're armed with cadmium based weaponry. Powerful enough to end this monster once and for all. We could've never done it without your help. This'll be a great victory for us."

"You plan to kill this being," Thor said. Admiral Stenz looked at him with bewilderment.

"Well, yes," he answered. Thor gripped Mjolnir tight.

"I cannot allow that," he said. Admiral Stenz was silent for a while.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Godzilla saved our lives," Thor said. "That portal nearly collapsed on us, and he protected us from death."

"It's just an animal, son," Admiral Stenz said.

"You're wrong!" Thor yelled. "Godzilla saved us! Saved these people!"

"He's right, sir," Steve said. Thor and Admiral Stenz looked over to him. "Without Godzilla, we'd have been crushed and had a mess of casualties on our hands."

"If you say so," Admiral Stenz said. "Regardless of what it did or didn't do, I have a job to do. Protect the States at all costs. This monster is a threat. Stand aside."

"I will not allow you to kill him!" Thor bellowed, raising Mjolnir. The soldiers switched their aim from Godzilla to Thor. The Hulk roared out at them, twitching its fingers. The civilians began to shout at Admiral Stenz, calling for him to let the animal go free. Soda cans and balls of paper were being thrown at him.

"Now look what you've done," Tony said. "You've upset the man!"

"Stand down," Admiral Stenz said sternly. "That is an order."

"I don't take orders from you," Tony said. Admiral Stenz shifted his focus from Tony to Rhodey.

"Stand down, son," he said. Rhodey was quiet. He looked over at Tony. At Thor. And then looked back at Godzilla.

"No sir," Rhodey said. Admiral Stenz could hardly believe his ears.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"No sir," Rhodey repeated. He sighed. "They're right. Godzilla did save us. I don't know whether it's just an animal or whatever Thor feels it is, but it saved us. And I don't agree with your decision to kill it." Serizawa stood before Godzilla, staring in wonder at it. He was so close to the animal he had dedicated his life to finding. Vivienne looked up at it, just as enraptured as her Sensei was.

"Is it…..dead?" she asked.

"I don't know," Serizawa whispered. Admiral Stenz looked to Steve.

"Captain, you're the most logical one here," he said. "You can see where I come from."

"I do, sir," he replied.

"Then you agree that the monster should be killed," Admiral Stenz said.

"No, sir, I don't," Steve said. "It saved us. It deserves a chance at life."

"And if we let it go, what's to stopping it from coming back and doing this all over again?" Admiral Stenz asked.

"The good doctors told me that it only came because it was hunting the MUTOs," Steve answered. "And we don't have any weaponry to match up to them. It was only because of Godzilla that we won." Admiral Stenz was silent, unable to provide a counterargument. "I won't try to win you over with emotions, sir, but I will appeal to you logically. We don't have weapons that can match a MUTO attack. Even the Avengers were outgunned. Godzilla was our ace in the hole. If you kill it, we will be utterly defenseless."

"You believe that there are more of those things out there?" Admiral Stenz asked.

"Can we afford to risk it?" Steve asked. A gust of air kicked up a cloud of dirt. Serizawa and Vivienne stepped back as they saw Godzilla's eye open. It was a brilliant yellow. Slowly and gently, the beast rose to its feet, standing tall. It leaned against the side of Twin Peaks, still breathing heavily. It looked at the tanks and helicopters surrounding it, remembering that these small things would attack it. Godzilla didn't have the strength to fight. "Look at it, sir." Admiral Stenz stared up at it. This animal was old. Tired. And yet, it had defeated both MUTOs. As much as he hated to admit it, the United States Navy was no match against the monsters. Godzilla had done what they were unable to. With a heavy sigh, he waved his hand.

Slowly, the soldiers lowered their guns and backed away from the monster. The tanks and missile launchers drove down the street, away from Godzilla. The helicopters lifted high into the sky, giving the creature a wide birth. Thor looked to Admiral Stenz, who nodded at him.

"I hope you're right about this," he said.

"Thank you," Thor said.

A loud sound reached Godzilla's ears. It was coming from the ground. Like the sound of lots of tiny creatures shouting. The crowd of civilians looked up at the beast and were cheering. A little Japanese girl smiled up at it. The old man in the wheelchair stood on his own, for the first time in thirty years, and clapped. The dog howled loudly into the wind. From the forest, a family of deer had emerged and watched the scene unfold from the safety of the woods. Godzilla was unsure as to what the little beings were making noise were, but they appeared to not want to attack it. A warm feeling came over its neck. The clouds were parting, and the sun could be seen rising over the horizon. Over the water. The sunlight was casting a beam over Godzilla, as though it were guiding it home. Slowly, it looked over at the building where the flying MUTO's body remained. The corpse was still resting in the hole. The MUTOs were gone. One and for all. With a newfound energy, Godzilla reared its head back and roared to the heavens.

"_**SKREEEEEEEONGH!**_"

Cheers erupted through the city as Godzilla turned and walked for the ocean, not once looking back at the city. Its body heaved with every breath it took, utterly exhausted. Smiles creased the faces of the Avengers team. Clint placed his arm around Natasha and held her while she rested her head on his shoulder. Vivienne covered her mouth, in awe at the sight of the enormous beast, and cried. She wept tears of joy. Serizawa smiled, feeling a euphoria wash over him.

"You were right, Father," he whispered to himself.

The crew of the SHIELD Helicarrier erupted in cheers and applause. Nick Fury couldn't suppress the impressed smirk on his face from the display put on by the Avengers.

Godzilla slipped its enormous feet into the ocean, enjoying the feeling of the saltwater lick at its scales. It delicately inched itself down into the water, soaking in the sensation of the water on its hide. The beast sunk deeper into the water as it swam farther out into the ocean, leaving the San Francisco bay behind. A flock of seagulls swam after it, heralding its retreat. Silently and gracefully, Godzilla slipped below the water's surface and into the deep below.

As to whether or not the beast would return, no one was able to say. But everyone would remember, from that day on, that they were saved by a monster.


	19. The Godzilla Squad

"Reporter Steve Martin here, and I honestly cannot believe what we've just witnessed here today. With the aid of the Avengers, SHIELD, and the United States military, it appears that the monster known as "Godzilla" has defeated the two MUTOs. For those of you just tuning in, here is the footage of the monster leaving the city of San Francisco and entering the bay. It swam out to sea shortly after. The crowd below is alive with the sounds of cheering, something this city needed after the horrifying display that plagued this city for the past several hours. The Avengers and many innocents down below have gone on record to claim that this monster saved them. Many are calling Godzilla the "King of the Monsters"…."

"This big bug monster falls through the big glass ceiling and tries to eat us. But the big Godzilla monster is like "Raaah!" and pulls him out and beat him up! It was so cool!"

"I honestly thought I was gonna die in this city. From those aliens. From those monsters. But then the Avengers saved us. And I guess Godzilla saved us, too."

"The liberal media claims that this Godzilla is our protector. Yet, this monster caused several million dollars in property damage to two major cities. And several hundred thousand casualties are being reported from the attacks. And yet, the Avengers, these vigilantes, insisted on letting this monster. What's to stop it from coming back? Are we really safe?"

"Steve Martin went on record to call Godzilla the "King of the Monsters", which is pretty cool. I mean, he did basically beat the s**t out of two giant bugs and save San Francisco. Yet, he also killed several hundred thousand people. So he's more like King Henry VIII of Monsters."

The news reports continued on and on with their coverage of the San Francisco monster attack and invasion. Talk show hosts, news anchors, and all manner of civilians were being interviewed or giving their two cents on the incident in San Francisco. Nick Fury watched all of them play simultaneously as he addressed the Council.

"Director Fury, you're making things more and more difficult for us," a councilman with a British accent said. "First this Avengers Initiative. And now this monster you just allowed to escape."

"You remember what Captain Rogers said," Fury said. "We don't have the firepower to take down these monsters."

"So we're to just let this beast go into the ocean and hope it protects us?" another member of the council, a woman, asked.

"Why not?" Fury said. "It worked for the Avengers."

"This is different," a councilman with a Russian accent said. "The Avengers are people. This is a monster."

"We don't have anything to match up to monsters," Fury said. "What better weapon against monsters than another monster?"

"And what if this thing decides to attack us?" the councilwoman asked.

"Animals don't attack unless they're provoked," Fury stated. "Don't poke the bear." The Council was quiet. "The news about Godzilla defeating the MUTOs is going worldwide. Which means that it will reach every world."

"What are they to learn of this?" the British councilman asked.

"That Earth is dangerous," Fury said. "That WE'RE dangerous. That we look after our planet. And we're not afraid to get dirty. We've got heroes, but we've also got monsters. And they damn well better think twice before they act." Not awaiting a response, Fury disconnected from the Council. He walked back onto the bridge, watching the Helicarrier crew scramble back and forth. Slowly but surely, things were returning back to normal. As normal as they could get after a monster attack. The Avengers had gone their separate ways.

Tony returned to Avengers Tower in New York, greeted quite amorously by Pepper. Steve and Clint went to Queens to give their condolences to Tre Morales's wife. Bruce slipped silently away and fled for Costa Rica, wanting to return to his life of servitude. Natasha slipped into the shadows once more, returning to her life of espionage for SHIELD. Thor sent Loki back to Asgard in chains, making sure he was well secured in his cell. After Loki was locked away, he sent the Tesseract back to the vault. However, Thor couldn't have the Tesseract and the Aether in the same location. So he ordered Lady Sif and Volstagg the Valiant of the Warriors Three to take the Aether away from Asgard and be delivered into the hands of the eccentric Taneleer Tivan.

Fury reached out to Colonel Rhodes. The Avengers really benefitted from the Iron Patriot's aid. It took some coaxing, but Colonel Rhodes agreed to join the Avengers. The team of six was now up to seven, and Fury was looking to expand. He had been doing research on an American special forces trooper operating out in the Middle East. There was also the mysterious Stephen Strange, whose experiments were incredibly unusual, even by SHIELD standards. Fury had also set his eye on the small African nation of Wakanda. If there were other people out there in the void of space as well as monsters deep within their Earth, Fury needed to be on his guard. He needed to better prepare the Earth. Agent Hill was standing at attention beside him. He looked slowly over to her. "Agent Hill."

"Yes sir," she responded.

"Where are the good doctors?"

* * *

Serizawa placed the file in his briefcase and locked it. Vivienne had just finished packing up their things. They didn't have much. The two looked over their laboratory, which had been stripped bare. Now that Godzilla had returned to the ocean, they had no reason to stay here. Vivienne looked over to Serizawa.

"It was fun," she said. A small smile appeared on Serizawa's face. He nodded.

"Yes," he said.

"Leaving so soon?" They turned around and saw Nick Fury standing there, inside an elevator. "Hadn't been here long."

"We appreciate your hospitality, but we really need to get back to the Philippines," Vivienne said. "We still have a skeleton to study."

"Thank you for this opportunity," Serizawa said. "It was an honor to work with you, Director Fury."

"Doctor," he said and nodded. "Head back to the Philippines, huh? Study your bones. Alright. Sounds like a plan. Not my idea of fun, but don't let me stop you. Of course, if you stay, we can have more fun." Serizawa and Vivienne exchanged confused looks.

"Stay?" she asked.

"Monarch has been officially conscripted into SHIELD," Fury said. "Monarch can achieve even more success with SHIELD's budget and technology."

"What does this mean for us?" Vivienne asked.

"Whatever you want," Fury said. "You can go back to the Philippines and study your skeleton. Or you can stay with us and help us find the real thing." Vivienne's eyes widened with excitement at the possibility of getting to study a living Godzilla specimen in the field. "Follow me." Serizawa and Vivienne entered the elevator with him. He pressed a button labeled "Engineering", and the elevator descended deeper into the Helicarrier. "You two are our leading Godzilla experts. You and Serizawa are two of the world's most accomplished paleontologists and absolutely brilliant chemists." Serizawa blinked in surprise. Not many people knew of their chemistry research. "The world's become much bigger now with this idea of monsters in the shadows. We need to study them. Learn about them. Learn from them. Learn how to protect ourselves from them." The elevator doors slid open, and the three of them walked into the engineering bay. Transports and vehicles were being repaired and modified with the latest SHIELD technology. "But we can't just have any old group of people on this project. We need a specialized squad. A Godzilla Squad." As if on cue, a group of five people emerged from the shadows. Each one of them looking very different.

"Allow me to introduce…." Fury started. "Captain Douglas Gordon." A man with a thick dark mustache nodded his head. He wore a brown trench coat and had a necklace with a dinosaur's tooth on it. A katana was sheathed on his back. "High ranking officer of the Japanese SHIELD division, the Earth Defense Force. Expert in hand to hand combat and swordplay. Hell of a soldier."

A Japanese girl with short hair stepped forward and waved shyly. She wore an olive green military jacket over a shirt that had a green emblem depicting Earth with an olive branch underneath it. Three black arrows lead through the center of the sphere. She wore a short skirt with shorts underneath as well as boots that went up to her knee. "Miki Saegusa. Aspiring paleontologist. Specialized in animal behavior. And the most powerful psychic to come out of the UN's Project-T."

"Psychic?" Vivienne asked. Miki closed her eyes, and their briefcases flew from their hands and floated around her. Vivienne suppressed a gasp, and Serizawa stared on in complete shock. Miki held out a hand and guided the briefcases back to their owners. "I-I don't believe it!"

"I didn't either," Fury said. "The girl's good."

An older Japanese woman stepped forward, having hair as short as Miki's but lighter. She wore a grey military uniform, with protective black padding around the knees and arms. Black boots and a specialized military jacket with lots of pockets complemented the outfit. "Lieutenant Akane Yashiro," Fury continued. "Expert pilot and infantryman. Former member of the Japanese military."

A rounder gentleman stepped forward, wearing a lab coat over a beige turtleneck sweater and blue jeans with brown loafers. He had blonde hair that ran down the back of his neck and had a simple goatee. "Doctor Mendel Craven. One of the world's top robotics experts and key developer of AI technology. Also an expert in deep sea exploration."

"Don't forget NIGEL," he said weakly. He removed a remote and pressed a button. From behind him came a yellow machine on treads the size of a person. It had several arms and an unusual three-eyed head like fixture. "Next millennium Intelligence Gathering Electronic Liaison. It was my passion project for years. Almost perfected it."

"Doctor loves his toys," Fury said. "And last but not least…"

A woman with long red hair stepped forward, wearing a green shirt with khakis. "Doctor Elsie Chapman. Leading paleontological expert on theropod behavior. I'm sure you've met in the past."

"We have," Vivienne said. She enjoyed working with Elsie in the past. She was very lively.

"I've put you together because I believe you to be the best," Fury said. "The people the most capable of finding and studying Godzilla and anything else that crawls out of the shadows. But if you're going to do this, you have to do it right." Fury removed a device from his pocket and pressed the button. Giant steel panels slid open, revealing a large construct that rendered them all speechless.

A large ship that looked like a cross between a submarine and a battleship was being worked on by a team of engineers. The top half was painted white while the bottom half was red. On the nose of the submarine was a giant drill. It was unlike anything any of them had ever seen.

"One of the most advanced all-terrain vehicles ever invented," Fury said. "It can dive deeper than any submersible before it and is capable of flight. It has some of the most advanced weaponry to come out of SHIELD. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: the Gotengo."


	20. Post Credits Scene

The light of a distant sun shone on the broken remnants of an asteroid field. The Other climbed the winding thin staircase and reached the large platform, kneeling before his master sitting on his floating throne. Thanos sat back and waved his hand over the holographic projection of the Earth, causing it to dissipate. The magic he had absorbed from Loki's scepter had been his saving grace. Had he not channeled the magic effectively, he would've been ended.

"The foolish Loki cost us greatly, my master," the Other hissed. "He has been taken to the security of Asgard by Thor. Say the word, and our forces shall descend upon him like-"

"No," Thanos stated. "Do not be so hasty. Loki played his part well."

"His part, master?" the Other asked, not understanding. Thanos laughed.

"The key to a successful plan is to have multiple angles," he said. "Loki was merely one. The cogs are slowly turning in our favor. Asgard is another space on the chessboard, like Earth and Xandar. We lost many Chitauri, but they are mere drones. Playthings that can be replaced. The Avengers proved themselves to be adequate. But they are still very soft. They will need much more molding if there is to be any satisfaction in ending them."

"And what of the monster, master?" the Other asked.

"Now THAT I had not anticipated," Thanos admitted. The Mad Titan laughed slightly. "A pleasant surprise for once. It will be a great challenge to fell the mighty beast."

"But, master," the Other said. "Forgive me, but I do not believe you have the strength to challenge this beast."

"You would be right in thinking so," Thanos said. "I, myself, am no match for a beast such as that. But I will not be dissuaded so easily."

"Enlighten me, master," the Other groveled. "How do you plan to face the monster?"

"There are dark places in this universe where even I must tread lightly," Thanos said. "Monsters hide in the shadows of every world. In the deepness of the sea. The thinness of the cracks in the rock. The shade of the jungle. Monsters are real. But they can be killed. And they can be tamed. But to do either, they must be found."

"You plan to hunt for monsters?" the Other asked.

"Tell me something," Thanos said, turning to his yes man. A grin was stretched upon his face. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the Golden Hydra?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Welcome to the end. It was a fun ride. Took a bit too long to get here, but I thank those of you that were patient. I'm glad to see the positive reception to this, and I plan to write a lot more in the future. Remember earlier when I said I was going to write a trilogy? Well, it may end up a quadrilogy. It all depends on what the plot to Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel's Agent Carter, and Antman lead us into. I don't want to stray too far from the MCU's canon. I'm also gonna provide some original content that isn't just stuff from the films. I really wanna develop this universe I'm writing, and I think I can balance the original stuff and the film stuff quite evenly. **

**I can't guarantee when the next installment of the Godzilla/Avengers Crossover Universe will be here. Probably some time after Phase 2 finishes its run. That seems like a really long time to wait, but I hope it'll be worth it. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and reading this. I appreciate all your feedback. Don't be afraid to tell me some things you didn't like or could use improvement. I love constructive criticism.**

**Also, I went and added some things to Chapter 19 that might be a little fun to read. Universe building stuff.**


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